Sustainable building
The thermal advantages of VMZINC solutions
The renovation of the “Ô Saône” office building in France illustrates the success of an exemplary thermal renovation project in which the design team identified and enhanced the advantages of VMZINC solutions which contributed to reaching the ambitious objectives of the project.
This 11,000 m2 8-storey building is located in Lyon in France, close to the Lyon-Perrache train station, on the banks of the river Saône.
Photo : © Studio_Erick_Saillet
Photo : © Studio_Erick_Saillet
The defined objectives
The client, CIRMAD Grand Sud, decided to renovate the BBCP (Building Bureaux Climatisés de Perrache or “Air Conditioned Perrache Office Building”) building to significantly improve its technical and energy efficiency.
Entrusted to the Face A studio and to the ETAMINE Technical Research Office, these renovations targeted the French BBC Renovation Label (Low Energy Consumption Building). Extra work, in particular on insulating the envelope, made it possible to attain a higher level of performance: 48% reduction in energy consumption compared to regulatory benchmark vs 40% reduction initially targeted.
Renovation of this heritage building involved major work on its facade, in particular:
• Replacement of the curtain wall and joinery,
• External insulation,
• Installation of new cladding.
Photo : © Studio_Erick_Saillet
Architectural response and contribution of VMZINC solutions
Interviewed, architects Isabelle Raveau and Xavier Porte explained the thought process that led to the choice of VMZINC systems on the facade:
«In a renovation context, whether it is for thermal reasons or not, the objective is to generally improve the building in a spirit of renewal and a search for modernity. This search for modernity was all the more important in that we wanted to renew the “innovative” and “High Tech” spirit conveyed by the original building. In this context rolled zinc was an obvious choice! Its natural, noble and durable character is enhanced by its modernity.
In addition, the aesthetic of zinc blends harmoniously with the other materials used in this project (especially wood), the warmth of wood with the modernity of zinc… Zinc is a natural material which is almost alive and reacts interestingly with the light.
Lastly, in terms of installation, rolled zinc systems provide a potential to adapt to any unanticipated constraints or difficulties that may arise on-site. More specifically for large elements, rolled zinc systems provide greater flexibility during the construction phase than pre-fabricated systems. »
Thermal performance attained
VMZINC systems contribute to the envelope's high level of thermal performance by making it possible to attain a lower thermal transmission coefficient (Up) thanks to effective insulation material (applied very thickly if necessary) and to the significant reduction of surface thermal bridges.
Lastly, in addition to these many advantages identified and effectively exploited in the “Ô Saône” project, the low grey energy offered by VMZINC solutions, which is lower than that of any other material likely to be used in envelope applications, offers a certain coherence with the ambitious thermal objectives targeted in this project.
.png)
