École Polytechnique chooses Kebony wood to renovate several of its residential buildings

Palaiseau, France. It is here, in a natural setting, that a housing complex of the École Polytechnique de Paris is located. The internationally renowned school wanted to renovate its buildings built between the 70s and 80s and improve their thermal performance. Kebony Clear cladding was selected for this project.

The École Polytechnique de Paris includes, among the buildings on its site, a set of housing units, located in the town of Palaiseau, in Essonne. The school wanted to significantly improve its thermal performance.

The project, which took place over a period of a year and a half, consisted of thermal insulation of the roof terraces, insulation of the facades from the outside, as well as replacement of the exterior joinery with double frames. glazing and reinforced insulation. The program covered buildings no. 43, 44, 45 and 66, for a project with a scale of 9.300 m².

The project management company mandated by the École Polytechnique, looking for a material that was both durable and eco-responsible, had already worked with Kebony products.

For Wilfrid Turchet, architect of the ATW workshop: “Our values lead us to develop our projects with a view to converging the reduction of environmental impact and energy efficiency. Wood is a sustainable material due to its carbon footprint, but also due to its longevity when used correctly. The particularity of Kebony wood is to guarantee a uniform appearance over time. The use of wood as cladding is therefore no longer an obstacle. »

Kebony produces the most sustainable alternative to hardwood and helps the construction world reduce its CO2 emissions. The Norwegian brand's patented process consists of polymerizing the cell wall of softwood from sustainable sources, by heating them with a product of organic origin. This is how it acquires all the qualities of tropical hardwood, while remaining environmentally friendly. The wood produced is durable and resistant. It does not require any special maintenance and acquires an elegant silver patina over time.

The ATW workshop opted for false radiata pine cladding, from the Kebony Clear range. This wood and its natural patina harmonize with the chosen shades of coating, close to the green and brown colors of nature, as well as with the simple lines of the buildings. These are installed in a pleasant natural setting, a setting which highlights this renovation project.

This work won a prize as part of the X-RSE Challenge in the “carbon footprint” category.