French property: La voie verte is open

Our new developments make it a point of honor to offer you a comfortable, energy-efficient home built to current environmental standards.

High-performance materials

In France, building accounts for almost 25% of CO2 emissions. To limit their impact on the environment, new developments opt for healthy materials that prevent energy loss, and don't require excessive transport or energy to manufacture. Cellular concrete features prominently among these materials. Made from natural elements (water, gypsum, aluminum powder, lime, cement and sand), it couldn't be more environmentally friendly! Used for structural work, concrete is particularly insulating. The walls absorb heat during the day and release it in the evening. Brick is another eco-friendly material. Made from terracotta or raw earth, brick is non-flammable, resistant to climatic variations and even termites. It has good thermal inertia and natural humidity regulation. The result is a healthier, well-insulated building. Finally, wood cladding combines aesthetics and ecology. Resistant, flexible, light and innovative, it eliminates thermal bridges to prevent energy loss, and is also an excellent sound insulator.

Grey energy of materials

To determine the energy balance of a material, we speak of its "embodied energy". This is the amount of energy required to extract the raw material, transport it, transform and manufacture it, store it, market it, maintain it and recycle it at the end of its life. The more a product is transformed or comes from afar, the greater its grey energy consumption.

Top insulation

Respect for the environment also means lower energy bills. To achieve this, builders are focusing in particular on high-performanceinsulation, in line with current construction processes and compliance with new standards. Under RT 2012, new homes must consume less than 50 kWh/m² per year. This figure varies according to the zone in which the home is built, the climate and altitude. Builders must ensure optimized insulation, perfect air tightness, permanent controlled ventilation, and a heating and hot water production system that preferably uses renewable energies. Every effort is made to eliminate thermal bridges and prevent heat loss. Particular attention will be paid to walls, roofs, doors and windows (which will be double- or even triple-glazed with reinforced insulation).
New homes must also meet soundproofing standards. A decree dated June 30, 1999 defines the acoustic characteristics of housing intended for residential use, and sets a maximum decibel level for the various living areas, as well as for common areas.

• Glossary of eco-responsible construction
  ?The 2012 Thermal Regulations (RT 2012). Since 2007, this regulation has limited a building's energy consumption to 50 kWh/m²/year. To achieve this, it relies on home insulation and reduced energy consumption through the use of high-performance materials and equipment;
  ? 2020 Environmental Regulations (RE 2020). From January 2021, it will define new standards for housing construction. They will have to show a heating consumption of less than 12 kWhep per m² and a total primary energy consumption of less than 100 kWh per m²;
  ? NF Habitat and NF HQE certification: to qualify for these labels, homes must meet various criteria relating to responsible construction management, quality of living spaces, respect for the environment and energy performance;
  ? The HPE and THPE labels, issued by private certification bodies, aim to reduce energy consumption by 10% (for Haute Performance Energétic) or 20% (for Très Haute Performance Énergétique) energy consumption compared with RT 2012 standards;
  ? The Effinergie+ label certifies buildings whose energy performance goes beyond the requirements of the RT 2012, gradually moving towards the construction of positive-energy buildings (BEPOS). The label focuses on the building envelope, overall thermal performance, air tightness, ventilation and air quality. The result is a 20% improvement in the building's thermal performance compared with RT 2012;
  ? The BEPOS label. Directly linked to the RE 2020, this label will apply to future buildings. They will have to meet a number of criteria, starting with good thermal insulation, the orientation of the building and the positioning of the various openings to encourage the use of solar energy. This label encourages the use of renewable energies (biomass, photovoltaic, geothermal, etc.).
  

Energy savings and lower bills

The energy budget is a major item in household spending (on average 8.4%). New homes consume half as much energy as older ones. The latter consume on average up to 240 kWh of energy per m² per year, 87% of which is for heating. In comparison, a new home will consume only 60 kWh/m²/year, of which only 30% is for heating. The reason for this? The law requires builders to comply with the 2012 Thermal Regulations (RT 2012). And in 2021, the Réglementation Energétique 2020 (RE 2020) will further reduce the thresholds to be met.
In addition, the Elan law of November 23, 2018 requires energy consumption in apartment buildings to be regulated, "where technically possible and where costs are under control". Each dwelling must be equipped with a device to determine the heating or cooling consumption of each unit.

Unrivalled quality of life

New developments are synonymous with sustainable construction and quality of life for their residents. Gone are the days of cold, impersonal 10-storey blocks of flats. Since the creation of the Éco-quartier label in 2009, developers have made it a point of honor to favor smaller buildings that are environmentally friendly in terms of construction, energy consumption and quality of life. In all, since the launch of the Éco-quartier approach, almost 500 projects have been awarded the Éco-quartier label throughout France. Nearly 230,000 homes are located in these certified Éco-quartiers. Nearly 60% of these projects are located outside metropolitan areas, in medium-sized towns, small cities and rural areas. These are homes where people feel good, and where green has pride of place. Green walls, shaded balconies and terraces with flowers, gardens... the buildings are adorned with green. Biodiversity and soft paths (bicycle paths, footpaths, etc.) are encouraged.

A place reserved for electric vehicles

Environmental protection also involves modes of transport. Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common. Until now, however, they have been hampered by the problem of recharging. The Grenelle 2 law and its implementing decree, which came into force in early 2012, stipulate that a minimum of 10% of parking spaces must be reserved for electric vehicles and equipped with recharging sockets. The "loi d'orientation des mobilités" of December 2019 provides for the reinforcement of this obligation to provide charging points in parking lots with more than 10 spaces in new buildings.