On Friday 1 July 2022, the teams from Emile Henry and GA Smart Building, the off-site construction player for the operation and the institutional players, gathered in Marcigny to lay the foundation stone for the new U6 workshops, a 6,700 m² building meeting the requirements of a complex industrial process and ambitious energy performance.
Increase production capacity and meet demand for ceramic cookware
Bread cloches, tagines, casserole dishes, oven dishes, cheese boxes, focaccia dishes, etc. The creations of Emile Henry, a culinary ceramist since 1850, are based on an ancestral expertise and imbued with the passion of the craftsmen who design them.
We export 80% of our production, mainly to the United States, South Korea and Europe. With good products and a growing reputation, our heritage brand continues to grow and we are confident in our development prospects. That’s why I’ve made the decision to build new manufacturing workshops to meet the demand that we are projecting.
Proof of its commitment to made in France, Emile Henry has been granted the Origine France Garantie label and has remained established in Marcigny since its beginnings.
Our new workshops are expected to create approximately 45 direct jobs by the beginning of 2023 in our various trades: shaping, enamelling, quality control mainly.
An investment of 11 million euros was required to complete this large project, for which a grant of 800,000 euros was given under the France Relance plan. The building permit was filed in December 2021 for a project kick-off in May 2022 – 8 months of construction with an inauguration scheduled for the 1st quarter of 2023.
Energy-efficient construction, designed like a cookbook
As Emile Henry and GA Smart Building share a commitment to French industrial excellence, combined with a commitment for environmental performance, the new manufacturing workshops will feature thermal insulation and complex heat recovery systems to optimise consumption, in addition to solar panels installed on the roof, which will produce a significant portion of the electricity requirement.
As the subject of biodiversity has an impact on design choices, a wet area, 4 times bigger than the wet surfaces sealed by the creation of the building, has been created by GA Smart Building, accompanied by Maîtres Cubes – a design office dedicated to project hydrology. By enriching the pre-existing environment, this area will promote biodiversity and allow flora and fauna to flourish even more.
Designed in collaboration with CDA Architectes and Jean-François Gromaire (AMO Conception), the building was designed to evoke the image of a cookbook laid flat. The material characteristics of the façade, oak-coloured imitation-wood metal, allow the building to integrate into its environment and will reflect the world of homemade cuisine and delicious slow-cooked meals.
The harmonious architectural style is also characterised by the choice of natural colours, and complements the graphic charter of the Emile Henry brand. Curtain walls bring lightness to the façades and leave the industrial process exposed.
GA Smart Building’s expertise at Emile Henry’s service
The GA Smart Building teams have supported Emile Henry in a proactive approach to best develop their industrial process and specifications. GA Smart Building also coordinated problems related to the land and its environment, on behalf of Emile Henry (ICPE, FRMP, wet area, building permit in ABF perimeter), in order to shorten the inquiry deadlines for the project as much as possible.
With its own position as a player in the industrial sector, GA Smart Building was able to adapt to Emile Henry’s demands and grasp the project’s challenges. This synergy between the two players has enabled the design of an efficient and sustainable building.
Thanks to its off-site and industrial construction approach, GA Smart Building masters each step, from FullBIM modelling, to the manufacture of structural and façade components at its Colmar plant, closest to Marcigny, to their assembly on site. This construction method thus ensures a high quality of the final construction, limits the environmental impact and minimises disturbance to residents. Finally, GA Smart Building’s construction processes ensure that construction times are controlled. This is the key to the success of the operation, particularly through the control of raw material supplies, which are so important in the current climate.
