Rehabilitation of the former Lafarge head office

The former head office of Lafarge, located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, at the corner of rue Belles Feuilles and rue Émile Ménier, has undergone a complete renovation. Specialized in major restructuring and the reinvention of existing buildings, the DTACC architectural firm has given a second life to this building dating from the end of the 90s.

Giving a second life to existing buildings

As partner architect Christian Sbeih points out, “Since 1997, the vast majority of our operations have focused on existing buildings. We work to change their destination, to transform them, to raise them, to modify them, to extend them or, sometimes, to replace them in a current regulatory and normative context while respecting the original architecture”.

“Belles Feuilles“, a project with multidimensional objectives

The “Belles Feuilles” renovation was based on several main principles. On the one hand, the need to change the image of the building with its large concrete facades which honored the sectoral positioning of the Lafarge company. On the other hand, a global reflection of the real estate complex in order to bring it into compliance with the fire safety and accessibility standards in force. The work of the DTACC architectural firm would not be complete without highlighting the studies that have made it possible to maximize the energy performance of the building and the natural light provided inside the living and working spaces. Daily comfort is enhanced by the creation and provision of new outdoor spaces, such as the gardens located at level R-1 and on the ground floor, but also by the green roofs freely accessible by the occupants.

Combine the two buildings to form one

The idea of the project was to unite the two existing buildings into a single architecture, homogeneous in aesthetic terms and coherent in terms of its operation. "Originally, the concept was built on the principle of two buildings, divided between rue Belles Feuilles and rue Émile Ménier, with independent entrances and technical installations", develops the architect Christian Sbeih. To meet this requirement, the project focused on creating a main entrance overlooked by large glass surfaces, serving a base of services including the restaurant, cafeteria, coworking spaces, fitness room and outdoor spaces. . Anxious to give a new identity to the building within an optimal financial framework, the architectural firm DTACC concentrated on the preservation of the existing structural elements and on the staging of a new exterior envelope. "Given the allocated budget, our challenge, for an operation of this scale, was expressed in the definition and selection of technical solutions, decorative elements and curtain wall facades which made it possible to completely change the image of the building" concludes the architect.

Glazed facades like the moldings of Parisian buildings

The building has been subject to various classifications in accordance with current energy and environmental performance requirements: HQE excellence, BREEAM Very Good, BBC-Effinergie Rénovation and WiredScore Silver. In keeping with the contours of the facades of Parisian buildings, the exterior envelope was treated using curtain wall systems and openings, elegantly mixing marked horizontal and vertical lines and smooth VEC facade elements. The CW86 and CW60 glazed curtain wall facades, located on rue Belles Feuilles, allow light to penetrate while promoting natural ventilation thanks to the integration of integrated VEC openings. On the rue Émile Ménier side, the rehabilitation focused on the implementation of new French-style windows reinforcing the vibratory side of the facade of the entire building.