What is building renovation?
Whether it’s restructuring, restoration, or modernization, our expertise is wide-ranging. Unlike new construction, renovation seeks to preserve a building’s original structure while improving various aspects such as energy performance, capacity, architecture, functionality, interior design, or compliance with current energy and environmental standards. Renovation can also involve a complete change of use—such as converting an office building into housing or a hotel—and may include vertical extensions to increase value while limiting land use.
At GA Smart Building, we revitalize existing buildings while anticipating the most demanding environmental and energy regulations. We offer our clients comprehensive solutions from the initial design phase to the completion of renovation work.
Our strength lies in delivering tailored solutions that meet the specific needs of each project while upholding the highest standards of quality and comfort.
What is off-site renovation?
Off-site renovation is a method where a large portion of the building components are prefabricated and assembled away from the construction site. Structural elements, façades, and comfort equipment are manufactured in our factories and then delivered to the site for assembly.
Is off-site renovation suitable for all projects?
Off-site renovation is especially well-suited for projects with significant site constraints (dense urban areas, occupied buildings, etc.).
As an off-site construction expert since the 1970s, and convinced that renovation is the future of the real estate and construction industry, GA Smart Building brings innovation and industrial know-how to this growing market.
What types of renovation does GA Smart Building deliver?
We renovate, restructure, or fit out real estate assets to increase their market value and improve occupant well-being through various contractual arrangements:
- Real Estate Development Contract (CPI)
- Design/Build
- General Contracting
- Design & Build / General Contractor
- Macro-lot packages
Our renovation services include:
- Major restructuring
- Complete renovation
- Hospitality and serviced residential renovations
- Office fit-outs
Major restructuring
GA Smart Building handles the restructuring of office buildings up to 10,000 m², working with all types of structures—concrete, industrial, or traditional (stone, metal, brick). Our teams manage major works, including vertical extensions, partial demolition/rebuilds, or full transformations. Interior and exterior renovations enable us to modernize buildings to meet new uses.
Current examples include a heavy renovation and extension of a 1980s office building in Boulogne-Billancourt for Osesam, and the redevelopment of a mixed-use building for PAREF on Rue Léon Frot in Paris, which scored 98/100 by GREBS for ESG performance.
Complete renovation, including energy upgrades
We carry out full renovations of commercial buildings, updating façades, technical systems, and both private and shared interior spaces. We also implement tailored service offerings and precise energy management for comfort, efficiency, and market appeal.
Energy renovation is central to our approach: by upgrading the building envelope, HVAC systems, lighting, and controls, we significantly improve energy performance—reducing consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy bills.
In the heart of Les Halles in Paris, we’re renovating CNES headquarters, including a new façade, ground floor, and office floors, plus a transformed rooftop with panoramic views. We also delivered the renovation of a 1980s building for RAJA in Tremblay-en-France.
Hospitality renovation and change of use
From cosmetic updates to full structural transformations, we renovate properties across all segments—lifestyle hotels, 4-star establishments, budget and serviced residences (student housing, coliving, etc.). The repetitive nature of these projects (bathrooms, façades) aligns perfectly with our off-site approach, delivering greater quality, speed, and performance.
For example, we converted former offices into a 4-star ACCOR hotel on Rue de l’Amiral Hamelin in Paris’s 16th arrondissement for Kerstone.
Interior fit-outs and Design & Build
With the support of Sight, our in-house architecture and design studio, we provide administrative, financial, and technical support for office fit-outs:
- Technical and architectural refreshes
- Layouts with partitions, “Hive” booths, etc.
- Renovated common areas and new service spaces
Projects are ongoing for Accenture and Praemia REIM in Montreuil, and the fit-out of 1pulsion, the first office building in Toulouse’s Matabiau Quai d’Oc district for SNCF, was delivered at the end of 2024.
Why renovate a building? What are the benefits?
Building renovation offers numerous economic and environmental advantages. At GA Smart Building, our renovation solutions enable:
- Repositioning assets and increasing their value
- Optimizing lettable areas
- Changing the use of the building
- Reducing operational carbon footprints, notably through energy renovation
- Improving occupant comfort (thermal comfort, interior fit-outs, etc.)
What are the key steps of a renovation project?
- Existing building analysis and possible BIM modeling
- Assessment of value-creation scenarios
- Selection of renovation, extension, or vertical expansion solutions
- Technical design and cost estimation
- BIM-based design and coordination
Off-site-specific steps include:
- Prefabrication of structure, façade, and equipment in our French factories
- On-site assembly
- 2D/3D module production in Ossabois factories
- On-site assembly of modules, energy upgrades, and interior work
- Final delivery, on time and on budget
We also provide administrative and financial advice, technical feasibility analysis, and selection of the most efficient and innovative solutions, with expert teams supporting you every step of the way.
Sustainable renovation: a key response to the climate challenge
As a low-carbon developer and pioneer of off-site renovation, GA Smart Building is committed to driving transformation in our industry.
The building sector accounts for over 25% of GHG emissions and faces mounting social, societal, and environmental challenges. It must reduce its climate impact and adapt to change—hence growing regulatory pressure and stricter environmental standards.
At GA Smart Building, we’re convinced the sector cannot transition without prioritizing renovation. That’s why we’re developing sustainable renovation solutions to stay ahead of future regulations.
Renovation must comply with the EU Taxonomy
In all our renovation projects, we integrate the European Taxonomy—an EU regulation that classifies sustainable activities to steer investments toward “green” initiatives. It identifies six environmental objectives, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, which our renovation work substantially contributes to.
Scaling up energy renovation: a pillar of France’s National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC)
Mass energy renovation, along with high-performing new builds and energy efficiency, is key to meeting the French government’s 2030 target of a 28% energy reduction.
The Tertiary Decree: Cutting emissions from existing commercial buildings
Effective since 2019, the Tertiary Decree enforces the 2018 ELAN law. It mandates GHG reductions for commercial buildings over 1,000 m² via four levers:
- Enhancing building energy performance
- Installing efficient systems or controls
- Optimizing operations
- Encouraging occupant behavior change
Each stakeholder must reduce energy use from a chosen baseline by at least 40% by 2030, 50% by 2040, and 60% by 2050—and report annually.
The BACS Decree: Implementing smart control systems
The BACS Decree (Building Automation & Control System) supports the Tertiary Decree by requiring automation systems by 2025 for buildings with HVAC systems >290 kW, and by 2027 for those >70 kW.
Renovation combats land artificialization
Land artificialization permanently alters soil ecosystems. Achieving “Net Zero Artificialization” (ZAN) by 2050, as mandated by France’s 2018 Biodiversity Plan and the 2021 Climate & Resilience Law, relies on urban renewal, densification, and reusing existing assets.
This includes building renovations, vertical extensions, and re-naturing underutilized spaces.
What types of buildings can be renovated?
Building renovation makes it possible to enhance all types of buildings, regardless of their size:
- Office buildings
- Logistics and industrial buildings
- Residential buildings
On the office side, we have launched the restructuring work of the former Médecins du Monde headquarters in the 18th arrondissement of Paris and are carrying out the emblematic renovation of the “Paris Grands Boulevards” site for Covivio in Paris’s 9th arrondissement.
As for logistics or industry, we have undertaken the modernization and extension of Würth’s logistics platform in Montélimar, the reconstruction of a shell manufacturing facility on the Nexter site in Bourges, and the development of production laboratories for GENVIA in Béziers.
Residential buildings are also very well suited to off-site renovation, as Ossabois has demonstrated on several occasions. GA Smart Building’s subsidiary, specialized in timber off-site renovation, notably participated in the thermal rehabilitation of an 11-storey tower with 251 housing units for Sarthe Habitat in Le Mans. This project is part of the EnergieSprong initiative, a nationwide program aimed at accelerating the development of net-zero energy renovations. Ossabois also contributed to the thermal rehabilitation of six buildings in Saint-Priest by producing 11,000 m² of timber-frame façades for CITINEA.
Do you have a renovation, energy upgrade, or off-site transformation project? Contact us!
Contact
Gilles De Jouvencel
Managing Director, Renovated Unit
