Ilet du Centre
France / Reunion-21.55,55.28
Client Name: SSCV Saint-Michel
Project website:
Project Description
This operation of housing and offices is realized by making best use of the performances of the passive climatic comfort. Neither offices, nor housing are air-conditioned. The project followed a global approach of environmental quality where all the targets were handled, with for the most successful, those relative to the management of the water and the hygrothermal comfort. On the energy plan, besides the absence of air conditioning and the econome equipments (lamp, fans, etc.), was realized the whole heating of sanitary water with solar cells and an integrated photovoltaic power production gives an autonomy of 25 % to the operation. This project is the result of preliminary experiments on the devices of the climatic comfort in urban city center and tropical climate. The architecture is strongly defined by the technical devices of solar control, cross natural ventilation, protection of walls. At the heart of the project which bends over in the powerful winds of trade winds, is positioned a garden of biodiversity for the endemic species of the dry area. "Ilet du Centre" received "contemporary solar habitats" prize by the French renewable energy observatory Observ'ER.
Building Details
Office + Residence complex
New building project
4000 m²
5
Studio
12
24,77 m²
1BHK
39
46,56 m²
2BHK
6
59,64 m²
3BHK
9
82,11 m²
142 m²
4000 m²
3989 m²
PERENE
EURO 6,68 million
EURO 1677
2008
2009
Project Team
LEU Réunion
www.leureunion.fr
SBTPC
GECP
APA / 2APMR
LEU Réunion
Climate Analysis
"Ilet du centre" is located in Saint Pierre on the French island of La Reunion. This island, whose tropical climate is hot and humid, is located in the Indian Ocean. This area is also often struck by tropical cyclones, generating building difficulties. The climatic conditions (Temperatures and Sun rays) of Saint-Pierre are listed in the Table. The prevailing winds blow from the east and south-east - the west coast being known as the leeward coast. The energy situation is complicated because La Reunion is very a small island. The production of electricity is limited, and the island aims to be energy independence by 2030.
Design Approach
The low densification is the most important public-spirited choice for a sustainable city: a coherent density with the stakes in the environmental quality. This density allows the realization of a real project in a real garden, for a quality of life which will become rare in Saint Pierre 2000m ² of garden in a plot of land of 4000m²…. Real trees, real views, in full urban city center.
This project is created applying PERENE referential document which contain recommandation about protection of the buidling enveloppe, the ventilation natural working, energy efficiency. All the objectives have been fulfilled. Moreover, environmental complementory measures have been made like luxurious gardens, the use of low environmental impact materials, low nuisance for construction site, etc.
Document
Special Feature
Large ouverture in each
To avoid the use of air-conditioning, several passive strategies are used : shading of walls, insulation and reflective roofs, 20% minimum porosity, fans, cross ventilation, orientation according to dominant winds, ventilation with the main door. The large and dense garden and vegetalisation of building access permit to limit heat accumulation. Buildings are on stilts to cool down the building mass. Artificial lights are reduced to accurate requirement.
Building Material
wooden cladding + concrete + plasterboard concrete (light coloured painting) + plasterboard
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high reflective metal + air gap + insulation (8cm) + plasterboard
Energy systems
Installed by occupants
Fluorescent lighting with timer switch controls
150
120
Timer switch control for exterior lighting, efficient fans
160 m² of photovoltaïc panels to produce 25% of electricity residence demands. Each quarters are equiped of thermal solar panel. In totally, there are 140m² of thermal solar panels.
Lessons Learned
Design team work in this building on half of the first two storeys of a four-storey. For us, it is very pleasent to work in this building. It is one of the first office without air conditioning.
A post occupant evaluation has been made and generally occupants are very satisfied by the conception (comfort, garden, view). The negative point is the exterior acoustic due to the traffic.
There aren't so much problem with this operation compared to a conventional building. The low equipment quantity permit the resident to limit the equipement substitution.
