Heatwaves: Condominiums face the long-term challenge of adapting housing

Installation of shutters or exterior blinds, roof insulation, improved ventilation, air conditioning or greening of courtyards: faced with the three heat waves of the summer, solutions aimed at improving the comfort of homes have become a major concern.

Residents of energy-inefficient homes are particularly affected. A study conducted by IGNES and Pouget Consultants estimates that one in two homes analyzed falls into this category. Based on approximately 9 million indicators from energy performance certificates, these results have not been weighted and are therefore not representative of the entire French housing stock.

Summer comfort is still not widely integrated into the projects

For the moment, Olivier Princivalle, president of FNAIM Grand Paris, is not seeing "an increase in requests for air conditioning installations, shutters, or blinds" from the condominium management companies his firm handles. The recent heat waves occurred after the general meetings had been held.

Works dedicated to summer comfort, which were almost entirely absent from the cases supported by Synergiec two years ago, now appear in 10% of the projects monitored by this company specializing in financing condominium renovations.

"The awareness dates back to 2025 or 2024. It will be more likely in six months that we will see applications arrive," estimates Sylvain Lefèvre, president of Synergiec.

According to him, summer comfort should occupy an increasing place in the considerations made by co-ownerships and "will gain momentum".

At least three years to renovate a condominium

Between technical assessments, project definition, administrative procedures with the town hall, successive votes at general meetings, and the execution of the work, a complete renovation of a condominium takes at least three years. However, a simple permit to install shutters can be obtained more quickly.

When heat protection has not been integrated from the project design stage, taking it into account can therefore lead to several additional years of waiting.

In Saint-Cyr-l'École, 10 million euros have already been committed.

This situation specifically concerns a condominium complex of 430 apartments spread across 18 buildings in Saint-Cyr-l'École, in the Yvelines department. The work, which is almost complete, has included insulating the facades and floors, replacing the windows, and installing a ventilation system.

Residents have noticed a slight improvement thanks to the insulation and shutters installed on the few windows that previously lacked them. However, many have suffered from the heat. "There's a large elderly population, and many are talking about air conditioning" since the exceptional heatwave at the end of June, with temperatures exceeding 40°C, reports Christophe Pascal, a member of the residents' association.

Air conditioning and the redevelopment of green spaces will, however, only be studied in the coming years.

"We have already spent 10 million euros on thermal renovation, we cannot do everything at the same time," explains Christophe Pascal, a member of the condominium's management council.

The heatwave strengthens the arguments in favor of the works

The condominium benefited from MaPrimeRénov' subsidies. For Frédéric Delhommeau, director of housing and energy at the Paris Climate Agency, the planning had nevertheless begun before the recent heatwaves.

"There is still an awareness that goes back to before the heatwave. The crisis has made it possible to verify that we have thought of everything and provides arguments to make the works acceptable," observes Frédéric Delhommeau.

In Bordeaux, a garden transformed into an island of coolness

In Bordeaux, the Jardin d'Arcadie assisted living residence is also undergoing modernization. Architect Jean-Philippe Gras has notably designed a roof overhang and new exterior blinds to limit overheating in the glazed common areas. These areas have also been air-conditioned to serve as refuge spaces.

The central garden needs to be replanted to create a cool oasis. However, "the debate on air conditioning in each apartment may not have been sufficiently addressed," believes Philippe Beguerie, a member of the residents' association council. A "collective approach" could have been considered, similar to the one used for individual blinds and shutters, governed by a set of specifications.

“We started thinking about this renovation four years ago. Today, we would rework the summer comfort with an additional level of requirement,” adds Philippe Beguerie.

Jean-Philippe Gras finally reminds us that "Regulatory pressure on building work is so focused on winter comfort that it creates a lack of consideration for summer."