Low carbon tour at our stand at Sibca, the Low Carbon Real Estate Fair : follow the guide !

At the 1^st edition of Sibca, we’ve prepared a low carbon tour to discover our latest processes developed to further reduce our environmental impact.

With an R&D department that has existed for more than 30 years and 3 million euros allocated per year, innovation is at the heart of our group’s DNA. So it was an obvious choice to take part in the first annual Sibca (Salon de l’Immobilier bas carbone), the low carbon real estate fair, at the Grand Palais Ephémère in Paris.

Our stand was designed sustainably using wood and reused materials, and it showcases the latest low carbon processes developed by the GA Smart Building and Ossabois teams.

Follow the guide!

1. Visit our 3D wood module built off-site, a master suite that reflects our future homes!

Welcome to our master suite, built using 3D modular wood construction! The 30 m² unit includes a bedroom with a study area, a rest area, storage space and an adjoining shower room. This master suite showcases the industrial know-how we bring to residential property through the leading off-site constructed low carbon housing brand.

The module’s 100% wood frame structure comes from sustainably managed French forests. The wood in this module alone stores more than 2.5 tonnes of carbon.

Based on the 3D digital model, the wood-frame walls and floors were produced on the framing lines of the Ossabois factory in Noiretable in the Loire Valley, and then assembled as modules in the factory in Balbigny, also in the Loire Valley. The ensemble, including the finishing elements also produced in the workshop, was transported to the Champs-de-Mars in Paris.

The ceiling height is 2.50 m.

Off-site construction ensures industrial quality, perfect design compliance and extreme accuracy of completion. 3D modular wood reduces construction times by up to 60%, reduces noise and disturbance with 95% less structural workflow, thus relieving congestion in cities, and reduces environmental impact. The off-site construction approach also allows for better waste recovery in factories and on construction sites, as well as optimum working and safety conditions.

2. Exploded view of a wood-frame wall

We stripped away a floor and a wooden frame wall to better show you the composition of the module!

The floor is made up of a wooden frame floor box, which incorporates glass wool insulation. A vapor barrier then ensures the airtightness of the module, then a 22mm MFP panel provides bracing and acts as a support for the flexible floor.

The wall is made up of a cladding panel, double battens to ensure ventilation of the rear side of the cladding, a rain shield, a 12mm MFP panel for bracing and a wooden frame incorporating wood wool. The module presented offers interior cladding in BA13 placo – it can accommodate any type of cladding.

3. Atom Wood, the off-site mixed wood and concrete floor, available in a coffee table

The only one of its kind in the world, this coffee table has been made using our Atom Wood process, scaled down to half its normal size – its usual dimensions are 2.70 m wide and up to 13 m long!

Atom Wood is an off-site mixed wood concrete floor consisting of laminated-bonded wood beams and a thin concrete slab with low carbon CEM III. It is characterised by its low carbon emissions, particularly sought after in the context of the new RE2020 environmental regulation for buildings: it makes it possible to reduce the carbon footprint of our floors threefold. It is noted for its very strong fire resistance (REI 60).

Atom Wood was named a “special selection” by the Low Carbon Influencers Hub, run by the French Institute for Building Performance (IFPEB). It received a grant from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) for its development. It obtained the ATEx (Appréciation Technique d’Expérimentation) [Technical Experimental Assessment]) appraisal in April 2022.

Atom Wood off-site wood and concrete flooring is produced in our French PREGA factories in Criquebeuf-sur-Seine in Normandy, Labège near Toulouse and Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine, near Colmar. The wood comes from the French PEFC or FSC-certified wood industry.

4. Cork at the heart of Atom Concrete +, a low carbon structural off-site flooring

Clever thinking! Embedded in the core of Atom Concrete + off-site flooring, cork is an excellent alternative to high carbon polystyrene. figures

Atom Concrete + presents a structural skeleton of traditional office floors made of standard prefabricated concrete elements. These major structural elements are columns, walls, beams, and stairs. The thickness of the prestressed floors varies from 21 cm on small spans to 26 cm on large spans. Atom Concrete + flooring offers great structural finesse, and a perfect underside allowing the removal of false ceilings.

5. On the way to ultra-low carbon concrete!

Let’s restore concrete to its former glory by moving towards ultra-low carbon concrete.

The bar was high: in the 2000s, conventional concrete CEM I emitted 310 kg CO2 Eq/M3. In the 2020s, CEM II low carbon concrete dropped to 270 kg CO2 Eq/M3. As of 2021, the CEM III version has further reduced the carbon footprint to 190 kg CO2 Eq/M3. And by 2024, the ultra-low carbon concrete we are currently formulating will drop to 100 kg CO2 Eq/M3.

For several years now, we have been conducting research in our three prefabrication plants to move towards low carbon concrete formulations, targeting a 20% to 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through the use of CEM III-type cements and blast furnace slag.

6. Air treatment module that has it all!

With our expertise in developing, producing and maintaining air treatment modules for tertiary buildings, we are working to develop a version suitable for residential real estate following our recent launch in this market.

Air conditioning is the main source of energy consumption in a building, as well as a source of comfort for its occupants. We design and manufacture air treatment systems to optimise consumption and maintain comfort. Built into the facade, the modules perform several functions: they heat in winter, cool in summer, ventilate the room and expel stale air. They also minimise acoustic disturbances associated with traditional ventilation systems.

The air treatment module, Leaf Activ, has two main functions. It provides thermal comfort – thanks to 30% to 70% above-average ventilation – and high air quality, thanks to efficient air renewal. Its power consumption is cut in half. Leaf Activ is associated with Atom Activ. These active prefabricated concrete slabs incorporate water networks and are coupled to geothermal heat pumps. Concrete floors become active floors, huge heating or cooling surfaces, depending on the need.

Overall, the HVAC package benefits from 30% carbon savings and for an entire building, including the operation with an RE2020 standard, we can achieve energy savings of up to 15%.

This air treatment module can be managed by Galaxy Pilot, the centralised AI technical management system designed by GA Smart Building. It monitors and controls the comfort and environmental and energy performance of each building. With this software, all connected equipment ensures the thermal and visual comfort of the building.

7. Wood and hemp concrete work well together!

You are looking at Wall’up, a high-performance prefabricated panel on a wood-framed, insulated hemp concrete base. Hemp concrete is an insulating building material made of hemp fibres and hydrated lime that has many advantages: it is produced locally, can be used on any type of structure (concrete, wood, metal), has exceptional thermal comfort qualities and is of course produced off-site, which makes it possible to plan for the passage of fluids, installations and a wide range of finishes.

Hemp is produced in an environmentally responsible manner. It is cultivated without inputs or pesticides, it does not require irrigation, defibration is done without chemicals, and it stores CO2 (1 ha of hemp stores 15T of C02).

Wall’up was developed by the eponymous start-up, which was created thanks to synergies between the wood/hemp sector in the Île de France region, and we are working together to find ways of integrating hemp concrete into our housing constructions.

8. Recycled and recyclable plastic coating

Original, isn’t it? It was designed by Le Pavé® from post-industrial or post-consumer plastic waste!

This eco-construction was designed to recycle waste from the construction sector. Once identified, crushed and processed, these form a thick, resistant plaque. It is a very easy material to work with and can be adapted to many uses. Malleable, it comes in a wide range of textures and finishes. We are thinking about integrating it into our future homes!