Sharing the aim of developing off-site construction and organising the sector, Grand Paris Aménagement and GA Smart Building are designing and building the first off-site timber showcase for 60 family properties for first-time buyers in Saint-Cyr-l’École in the Yvelines department, with a view to reducing the sector’s carbon footprint and improving construction quality.
There are multiple challenges: to significantly increase the level of quality and finish using off-site construction, to optimise design and construction in order to achieve a financial equilibrium, and to meet high standards in terms of quality of use, landscaping and the environment, without compromising on architectural quality.
The Charles Renard East district of Saint-Cyr-l’École, right next to the grounds of the Palace of Versailles and the military academy, offers the opportunity to envision a housing project with a hybrid, biosourced construction.
The town of Saint Cyr l’École, GA Smart Building and the public developer Grand Paris Aménagement drafted an architectural competition in spring 2023, based on a programme and specifications incorporating off-site construction methods. The selection criteria focused on the quality of the architecture, usability, environmental quality and the reduction of the carbon footprint. The ITAR Architectures agency was selected unanimously.
It has used off-site construction methods in the service of architecture to design unique homes that develop a fresh relationship with the outside. The development is designed in a U-shape, with attics up to 3 storeys high, and includes 60 family homes ranging from 1 to 5 rooms, with a total floor area of 4,000 m². The homes, which all have a minimum floor area depending on their category, are mostly double-aspect from front to back, with kitchens with external windows and loggias to ensure the residents’ privacy.
The landscaping was the cornerstone of the project, with water management, rainwater recovery and open-ground exteriors to encourage local wildlife all considered with the support of the LIN agency.
Naturally, this showcase for off-site timber housing has high environmental ambitions.
It is seeking the level 3 biosourced label, will be NF HQE certified and will meet the 2028 threshold of RE2020.
The quality of use aspect has been addressed in particular by meeting high air quality requirements with the Intairieur label.
The industrial and off-site constructive approach developed by GA Smart Building will enable the complex to be built in record time. The Group manages each stage, from FullBIM modelling to manufacturing structural elements and facades in the plants of its subsidiary Ossabois, and comfort features in its Labège plant, to their assembly on site. This construction method ensures quality of execution and control of deadlines, while minimising the environmental impact of the site and the nuisance to local residents.
Grand Paris Aménagement and GA Smart Building are aiming to start construction at the end of 2024, following a marketing phase in spring 2024. Deadlines will be very tight, with just 12 months on site if the whole project is built using 3D wood modules, or 16 months if a mix of 2D and 3D is chosen.
The municipality of Saint-Cyr-l’École is proud to welcome such an innovative construction method just a stone’s throw away from the historic site of the military academy. A return to sustainable and natural materials combined with innovative processes, these are pioneering choices that epitomise our city’s tradition of excellence and inform how our partners are selected.
At Grand Paris Aménagement, we are looking to develop innovative solutions that offer high-quality building to reduce our carbon footprint. The timber 100% off-site housing show homes are an example of this. They will combine environmental leadership and rapid completion deadlines. I’m delighted to be able to roll out this first pilot scheme with Sonia Brau, the Mayor of Saint-Cyr l’École, GA, and to share our joint ambition for a sector of the future.
This timber 100% off-site housing showcase is the result of close collaboration in design with Grand Paris Aménagement, with whom we share the conviction that off-site development is the future of construction and one of the keys to reducing carbon emissions.
