With these two new buildings, the CCI du Gard has opted for sustainable construction that meets environmental challenges.
If all goes well, the Maison de l’entreprise should be delivered at the very beginning of 2025. Consisting of two buildings located side by side along Boulevard Salvador-Allende opposite Parc Georges-Besse in Nîmes, this new consular headquarters will bring together all the services dedicated to businesses, training and innovation. This construction, which meets high environmental standards and was the winner of the Bâtiment NoWATT call launched by the Region, also received the BDO (Sustainable Building Occitanie) gold level label and benefited from financial aid for this.
An amphitheater with 280 seats
“The keystone of this project is above all the use of these buildings, explains Éric Giraudier, president of the CCI du Gard and initiator of the project. In the CCI building, the larger of the two, we will find, among other things, the public reception, the offices of the CCI, Bic innovation, an AI laboratory, a coworking space, and even seventeen classrooms to accommodate the students of the EGC business school now located on the Eerie site and for which we pay rent. »
The building located just opposite, smaller in size, called Campus CCI – and which was initially supposed to house UPE 30 – should, for its part, from the month of March welcome the BTS students until now housed in the premises from the CCI high school located on avenue du Général-Leclerc. This new generation campus will be equipped in particular with an amphitheater with 280 seats arranged on retractable stands. “A modular system which allows you to arrange, if necessary, a reception room of almost 300 m² in place”, underlines Fabien Dorocq, vice-president of the CCI du Gard in charge of Industry.
A white mesh facade
This construction, which integrates geothermal energy, solar panels and other ecological materials, and whose work began in February 2023, was designed by the architectural agencies NM2A Architecture in Montpellier – notably responsible for the project for the new Remoulins college which won an award at the XXIst National Construction Trophy – and Pascual architect in Nîmes, accompanied for the execution by AMG Architectes. « From an architectural point of view, the whole difficulty was to propose a project which was not the simple juxtaposition of technical, environmental or functional choices but on the contrary made it possible to create a coherent synthesis of them”, says Christophe Ramonatxo, director of the NM2A agency.
The architectural signature of these two buildings, which we remind you will be linked together by a footbridge, is the creation of a double facade made up of a perforated enameled steel mesh wrapping the building like a protective lace, particularly during the day. bright sunshine. “This white, shimmering facade constitutes the iconic element, assure the architects. It is designed to give a sculptural and minimalist dimension to the project, as if placed in a green setting”
Buildings on stilts
Strongly affected by the hydraulic constraints of the site, the buildings constructed in the flood zone were built on stilts, which allows parking lots to be installed under the building and thus preserve the permeability of the soil. At the same time, a retention basin of nearly 820 m3 was dug to compensate for this waterproofing.
The heating system works by geothermal energy from a water table using a heat pump. In the absence of air conditioning in the tertiary premises, the building will be cooled by installing automated night-time over-ventilation. via radiant ceilings including direct exchange with ground water and the widespread use of air fans. “A rainwater recovery system has been set up to supply water to the toilets. This represents a volume of 30m3 enabling approximately 50% of needs to be met, indicates architect Anthony Pascual. During periods of water stress for plants, water will be used for watering via tapping on the irrigation network.
Wooden frame facades
The energy sobriety of buildings desired by consular leaders is also reflected in a bioclimatic design combining natural lighting, a high-performance thermal envelope and no need for air conditioning. Added to this is low-carbon concrete construction, 100% bio-sourced wood wool insulation and wooden frame wall facades. This is particularly the case for the boardroom which overlooks an imposing rooftop. These two buildings, whose total surface area is estimated at more than 6,500 m², should house nearly 800 people (students, teachers and administrative staff). At a cost of nearly €17 million (excluding tax), the future Company House should be officially inaugurated in spring 2025.
