"This is a fantastic opportunity to place greater emphasis on the human dimension at La Défense," said Robert A.M. Stern. "We are very impressed with the efforts of EPAD [The Public Authority for Development of La Défense] and the city of Courbevoie to expand and revitalize this important business center."
JANUARY 10, 2008 – Aviva France announced today that Robert A.M. Stern Architects has been selected to design a new office tower at La Défense. Tour Carpe Diem will be an important step forward in the evolution of La Défense toward pedestrian-friendly urbanism and environmentally responsible architecture. The 32-story, 45,000 m2 building connects the raised esplanade—the "dalle" that continues the axis of the Champs-Elysées through the district—and the urban fabric of the city of Courbevoie to the north.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to place greater emphasis on the human dimension at La Défense," said Robert A.M. Stern. "We are very impressed with the efforts of EPAD [The Public Authority for Development of La Défense] and the city of Courbevoie to expand and revitalize this important business center."
Tour Carpe Diem will significantly exceed French regulations for environmentally responsible development. The building's triple-glazed curtain wall incorporates sunshades that respond to the solar orientation of each facade and innovative grilles that provide natural ventilation to reduce dependence on air conditioning. Additional sustainable design strategies include solar water heating, a heat recovery system, and high-performance lighting.
Robert A.M. Stern Architects was selected to design the project in a three-way design competition; the other competitors were Jacques Ferrier Architecte (Paris) and Foster + Partners (London).
Aviva is the world's fifth-largest insurance group and the leading provider of life and pensions products in Europe, with substantial business interests elsewhere around the world.
SRA Architects of Châtillon, France, will serve as associate architect for the project.
13 Comments
wtf does stern know about 'sustainable' design????? if they wanted corbels and neo-classical pediments, then Stern is the guy, but don't let him greenwash La Défense!
I'm glad you said something barry....because I was thinking basically the same thing. AND he beat out Foster? Wha? How?
well if that's the design, there's nary a corbel or pediment in sight. stern's got a big office that i'm sure can accommodate a range of skills and attitudes...
Barry Neo-classical pediments dont make a building less or more sustainable, I would even argue that a "punched window" style of architecture is way more energy efficient in principle than the fully glazed structures that we inherited from modernism.
Anyhow YALE university is in the forefront of sustainable building in the US, having a number of LEED rated buildings and even the LEED Platinum for the new Sculpture Building and Gallery which is housing the Architecture school provisionally. Stern in that "environment" must be very well informed about sustainability.
Mayne vs Stern...Throwdown!
ludwig-
my leed campus can beat your leed campus, ok whatever! yale isn't the center of the universe and certainly has been sitting on the sidelines of the sustainability for most of the past decade. even the m.e.d. program is more interested in historicism then 'environment' - who is the green faculty?
if punched windows are so great, why doesn't stern use them instead of a glass curtainwall?
ornamentation like pediments is a waste of materials, which is anti-sustainable. less is more is central to making a high performance structure.
Robert A.M. Stern Architects is an industry leader in the design of buildings that are environmentally sustainable and energy efficient. We find no conflict between our dedication to high-quality design and construction and the goals of efficiency and sustainability. The firm is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. We have regular in-house continuing education programs for our staff aimed at building firm-wide knowledge with all facets of sustainable design. We have developed and continue to maintain a master specification aimed at improving, often at no added construction cost, the environmental sustainability of the buildings we design.
nothing about developing innovative systems, about being in front of the curve, or pushing sustainability on all projects. he is a follower, not a leader in this movement.
in contrast, there is nothing on the Foster website about sustainability. how disappointing.
Barry, the MEDs are using the word 'environment' in a different (I would argue broader) sense than it's usually used. I don't think the MED program was ever intended to be just about the 'natural' environment.
The funny thing is, that description is basically how my old firm bills itself on sustainability as well....with nary a "green" building in its portfolio. It's easy to talk to the talk, but the walk?
Barry
"there is nothing on the Foster website about sustainability" --- of course there is, every architect must have something about it nowadays... Look better and you will find a 13 page PDF on the subject: http://www.fosterandpartners.com/content/essays/Architecture_and_Sustainability.pdf
Anyhow my contribution to this discussion was aimed at pointing out that there is no such thing as an aesthetic of sustainability. So to have a quick reaction of disgust because the work of an architect seems to be from another century thus " not sustainable" is wrong.
Going back to Yale. Who would have though that the person who would put that architecture school back in the map would be a designer of conservative buildings? Stern has been very good at making the school very inclusive.
Finally: I am no fan of RAMSA's architecture.
Ludwig- thanks for finding foster's essay. I'm so used to seeing a greenwashing statements like RAMSA's, with higher visibility, that foster's low key approach was shocking.
Back to yale (full disclosure, there was once a time when it was my first choice for grad school), how does sustainability fit into the inclusive buffet of architectural education that stern has created? Maybe I need to dig deeper still into the YSOA website and catalog, but what is happening in New Haven beyond a few new campus buildings being certified?
Stern's office may not be leader in sustainable design, but at least his office does do it.
"The new School of Business Building showcases Ithaca College's commitment to environmental responsibility by seeking the highest level of certification in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED™ rating system – Platinum – for a facility that supports the School's collaborative, team-based approach to business education. "
http://www.ramsa.com/project.aspx?id=82
Curtainwalls may not be more energy efficient in keeping heat, but it also is great for bringing in natural light. Not saying steel and glass is better than punch wall construction, but remember, sustainable design is also about improving quality of life, and natural sunlight is an important factor.
Just because Stern's architecture doesn't have the design appeal to many people is no reason to doubt whether they are or are not dedicated to creating sustainable architecture. Regardless of their motive, (because they secretly are tree-huggers at heart, or just want massive PR credit), they are doing it, and that should count for something. And that goes for all architecture firms, not just Stern.
it's nice to see rams doing a building that's somewhat more contemporary looking that all the historicist stuff that's been up his sleeve lately. while it would be nice to have sustainability and integral part of the design from the getgo (i.e. really informing the form, etc) it is certainly possible to make a building rather sustainable by simply hiring a consultant.
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