Departmental council. The new Bretenoux college is the winner of the Green Planet Building 2024 prize. The architectural project designed by the Dietrich-Untertrifaller Architectes team, associated with the Figeac firm PhBa, was rewarded for its energy efficiency: this prize awarded in Austria aims to encourage initiatives aimed at climate protection in the field of construction and real estate. Thanks to reinforced insulation, the use of geothermal energy and the installation of photovoltaic panels, the Bretenoux college will produce more energy over the year than it consumes. Wooden structure, plant insulation, raw earth walls, reuse of rainwater for toilets and watering green spaces: all the criteria are met for an environmentally friendly college. “Building a sustainable Lot is our commitment. I am delighted that this prize rewards the Department for the excellence and innovation deployed in the design and construction of the Bretenoux college, the first positive energy school building in the Lot,” reacted Serge Rigal, president of the Lot Department , who inaugurated the building in November 2023. “This trophy demonstrates the commitment of the Lot Department to the success of middle school students and the environmental transition, in short, in favor of the Lot A Venir”. The Green Planet Building Prize is perhaps the start of a long series. The Bretenoux college is still in the running for the construction prize from the Fibois organization, which promotes buildings that integrate wood in a significant, exemplary and innovative way. In Bretenoux, 1,400 m3 of wood were used for the new college which is also a candidate for the prestigious Swiss arc award. Several publications in specialist magazines have also praised the design of this establishment, such as Arch Daily or Envirobat. The Lot Department invested 18 million euros, with a subsidy of 1.5 million euros from the State, to build this new establishment praised for its design.
