The first is the new Carpe Diem skyscraper for La Defense, designed by Robert A. Stern. The customer was the largest European insurance company Aviva. The Latin phrase in the name of the building is taken from the ode of Horace and means "seize the moment." Contrary to its name, the building will be an example of sustainable architecture for long-term use. The triple glazing of its curtain wall will include sunscreens that respond to the light level of the façade and grilles that provide partial natural ventilation to the building. The project also involves the installation of a solar water heating system, energy-saving lighting and the use of "secondary heat" to heat the building.
The 32-storey tower will connect the axis of the Champs Elysees, which runs through the La Defense district, with the development of the Courbevoie district to the north via a pedestrian esplanade with trees and cafes. The first floor of Carpe Diem will occupy an 18-meter-high atrium, while the upper levels will house a conference center and a restaurant.
Stern's design was recognized by the customers as the best as a result of a closed competition, in which the workshops of Jacques Ferrier and Norman Foster also participated.
Less ambitious, but even more innovative, will be the Energy Plus office complex of the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It will be located in the disadvantaged area of Janeville on the outskirts of Paris. The roof of a building with a usable area of 70,000 sq. m all will be covered with solar panels. As a result, a 5,000-employee building will be fully self-sufficient in electricity, which has not yet been seen in commercial real estate. Also, the CO2 emissions of the Energy Plus complex into the environment will be equal to zero. Both of these factors make this building unique.
Also, its electricity consumption will be record low (thanks to modern insulating materials) - no more than 16 kilowatts per meter of office space per year (in a standard modern building, this figure ranges from 80 to 250 kilowatts).
At the same time, the construction of Energy Plus will cost 25-30% more than a conventional office complex, and will also take much longer, and if it were not for the support of American politicians (in particular, Bill Clinton) and the French government, the project would hardly have succeeded. implement.
