A strategic project providing a social and environmental positive impact on the region. The building fully integrates into the landscape as well as it meets environmental quality standards, a fundamental aspect for the EDF’s building strategy.
 

The concept

Within the framework of the Meuse and Haute Marne economic support programme, EDF has decided to centralize all its intermediary Engineering Production Management archives in Bure-Saudron.
The new center allows the documents’ organization and it also ameliorates the storage and the utilization processes. These archives, on paper-based and microfilm-based formats, will occupy about 70 km of shelves.
We realized a five level, 19 m high building within a plot of 3.30 hectares and a total surface of approximately 7,000 m².

Our approach can be resumed in 4 key points:

1. A functional organization of spaces
The need for fast and simple site management and optimum storage efficiency led us to develop a rational layout. The building is divided into 2 programs: archives and offices. The archives’ part is composed by 20 storehouses of 200 m² each. The offices’ part is N/W oriented and they have an ideal view on the surrounding landscape.
 
2. The preservation of the landscape
From an aesthetical point of view - and within an idea of landscape integration - trees complete the building by inserting a pattern recurring from the landscape: the “merlons”, narrow strips of land planted with hardwoods.
The project of the landscape foresees the framing of the views from the offices by planting vegetable masses.

3. Energy performances
Heat production is principally based on renewable energies and a heat pump. The choice made for the ventilation was to use a double flow ventilation system with heat recuperation.
Low voltage luminaries will result in considerable savings in terms of internal loads.
The total power consumed by the building represents 29 kWh/m².

4. A symbolic building’s envelope
The envelope has a very high performance resulting from the materials employed and the technology used for attaching the concrete facing (reduced thermal bridges).
To give the impression of a lightweight building in movement, we proposed incorporating stainless steel studs into the formwork during the casting of the integrally coloured prefabricated concrete elevation panels. A system of fixing ties holding the studs in position during the casting operation is used to ensure that the studs and concrete are flush with one another. This solution had the effect of blurring the building’s limits and reflecting the surrounding colours and changing seasons.
The facade’s building process was the subject of a patent, from which we can read: “This invention allows the construction of facades including reflecting units with the aim of giving the building a changing appearance determined partially by the environment partially by the weather around the building (…)”