Special feature
Resilience
The question is no longer “why” but “how” we’re going to stop the ticking clock that’s looming over us,
Forward looking
Quai 22 – the city reinvented
This area will be a great place to work, take it easy and unwind. The location, known as ‘Quai 22’, with its mix of city life, water and nature, will be situated on the banks of the river Deûle in the European Metropolis of Lille.
Trials with environmental excellence in carbon energy are not that simple
The aim of the Ademe’s Obec (‘Objectifs Bâtiments Energie Carbone’) programme is to support the trialling of positive energy & carbon reduction buildings (E+C-). It has just presented its initial findings and it is fair to say that they are surprising. Here is why.
The cities facing climate change
Not all cities are equal in the face of climate change. Some have published and committed to resilience strategies. Others are slow to take action ... or simply give up entirely.
Still engaged with change after ninety years
Although the HLM movement will soon be a hundred years old, it is still calmly and determinedly addressing the challenges it must face: providing homes, of course, but also accommodating changes in society. Energy transition, climate change, regional sustainability, and the shift to digitalisation are all taken into account.
Construction Industry: Together, we are stronger!
Bouygues Construction joined Construct Lab in July. This group of construction and public works firms fixes frequent problems in these sectors, and start-up companies apply solutions. Julien Bourcerie, Open Innovation Manager for Bouygues Construction, on “collective intelligence” in construction.
Cities to be: “From aspirational metropolis to inspirational city”
Providing levers for attaining the goals of sustainable development, such is the ambition of Cities to Be. In concrete terms, this means pooling experiences, solutions and best practices, generating momentum among the territories, and persuading players of the building sector to commit to such goals. All in the aim of creating a denser, more resilient city that offers, quite simply, a pleasant way of life.
Temporary urbanism is transforming cities
Creating new spaces and experimental urban projects – whether they’re cultural, social or economic – revitalising spaces before their conversion for future use, making use of empty buildings, creating a dynamic in which members of the community can get involved, encouraging them to take part and to contribute to the creation of an area’s identity etc. A look at temporary urbanism-–building cities differently so that they can adapt to fit the changing needs of their inhabitants.
“We are in the process of making history, with the big bang of energy efficiency”
Meet Emmanuel François, Chairman of the Smart Building Alliance (SBA).
Greener construction – just a fad or a genuine concern?
Across the world, nearly 200 m3 of concrete is poured every second. Concrete is one of the most widely used industrial products - even more so than oil. Although we know all about its advantages in terms of land development, its drawbacks are significant. It is one of the major sources of CO2 emissions due to its cement content. About one billion tonnes of CO2 is released each year in the world by the cement industry. In the face of such global challenges and future changes in urbanisation, a revolution in construction methods is beginning. How can the construction sector commit to becoming more carbon-free?
Ikea is developing SolarVille, a solar Smart City project
And what if IKEA were set to sell us not flat-packed furniture but pre-packed Smart City kits? This is just what the Swedish giant seems to be working on, if its latest announcement is anything to go by. Named SolarVille, the project designed by Space10, its in-house innovation lab, can power a community with solar energy by way of a smart microgrid using blockchain technology.
3 questions to Zoubeir Lafhaj, Construction 4.0 Chairholder
Central Lille welcomes the 5th edition of the ACE Workshop which brings together world experts in construction of the future. The Construction Chair 4.0, created by Bouygues Construction and Centrale Lille in 2017, will benefit from this event. Interview with Prof. Lafhaj, holder of the chair.
Perfony, a cure for acute meetingitis
At last, an end to meetingitis and email addiction. This tool facilitates the management of meetings and follow-up in businesses. Bouygues Construction’s new partner is Perfony, a software program that makes everyone’s life easier at work.
Reuse – the fourth pillar of the circular economy
The idea of reusing materials resulting from renovation or demolition work is gaining momentum. It has to be said that it is very attractive since by reviving this age-old practice, there is indeed much to be gained - new means of recycling, low-cost materials, improved carbon footprint during activities, etc... The list is long. All that remains is to remove any barriers.
From underground to organic market gardening: recycling excavated soil
Where Grand Paris Express worksites are concerned, Bouygues Travaux Publics Région Parisienne is seeking to give a new lease of life to excavated soil. A review of a circular-economy pilot project with the restructuring of an agricultural plot in partnership with the conurbation of Grand Paris Sud Seine-Essonne-Sénart and the municipality of Ris-Orangis.
3D printing, a technology to serve humans and human art
With the aim of reducing occupational health risks on work sites, improving productivity and producing complex items, 3D printing, while still in its experimental stage, is taking the building sector into an industrialisation process that will result in some exceptional achievements. Technology to serve US, not vice-versa.
Robotics and virtual reality used for health and safety
Improving working conditions on sites with a system combining robotics and virtual reality. This is far from a fairy tale - this research and development programme will come into effect in 2020. The aim is to train employees to pick up the right habits, via a process that is both visual and tactile.
Cities and mobilities #1 An encounter with Virginie Alonzi
Urban projects, infrastructures, recharging stations for electric vehicles, Smart City ... The world of mobilities is changing every day and various different factors of it influence our daily lives. Introducing our series of expert testimonials on the subject. The first contribution is from Virginie Alonzi, Outlook Director at Bouygues Construction. She discusses the innovative solutions that are arising in the wake of emerging uses?
Bouygues Construction goes down the path of artificial intelligence
April 2018 – Cédric Vilani, a deputy of the La République en marche (LREM) party in Essonne, publishes a reference document on artificial intelligence. It namely gives a few indications on the consequences of artificial intelligence development on the construction sector. At Bouygues Construction, are we ready?
The circular economy: at the heart of Bouygues Construction’s strategic thinking
Transforming waste into resources: when the circular economy disrupts our growth models and the way we consume and produce goods. Bouygues Construction is fully committed to acting as a responsible and committed industry player.
Gender & urban planning: it’s time to get back to work
What if, beneath the apparent gender diversity, the playground reveals that urban space is far from egalitarian?
Towns and buildings desperately seeking biodiversity
UN experts have issued a chilling verdict: in cities and in the countryside, biodiversity is at death's door. The good news, as with climate change, is that it is not too late. Although natural areas remain the priority, urban planners and developers in the broad sense must learn to build, to rebuild cities and buildings that will let ecosystems flourish, where ecological continuity really comes into its own.
3 questions to Thomas Danel, a PhD student at Chaire Construction 4.0
Bouygues Construction and Centrale Lille formed Chaire Construction 4.0 in 2017. Its aim was to support the digitisation and industrialisation of the sector. Thomas Danel, a PhD student in this field, has been working on a prototype for a remote-controlled crane. He talked to us about his project.
Don‘t miss out on any of our news!
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Smiile, the revolution in inclusive refurbishment in the Smart City
Smiile is a way of pooling resources and neighbourhood networks on the scale of an apartment block, a neighbourhood or even a city. The solution is one of the services proposed in the WIZOM Réhabilitation 2018 offer by Bouygues Construction. It is a great example of the Group's collaboration with a ‘French tech’ start-up.
Be Issy: a convenient window onto the city
Whether reimagining the tripod shape to move proudly towards the traditional shape of the closed island, stepping back from the street , using curves to provide a maximum of natural light or working with materials to create pleasant, social spaces, the research and design work done here at Be Issy by the architects from PCA Stream is intended to improve the lives of the occupants.
LeanCo, the open innovation solution for democratising lean management
The Matching Up Challenge is back! This call for innovative projects ‘matches’ start-ups with Group employees. What's it like working with a start-up? Yolaine Perrot, Lean Management Director at Bouygues Construction and Xavier Motsch, the founder of LeanCo, tell us all about it.
Smart cities will have to be transparent and inclusive
More and more sensors and cameras are popping up in cities. So what is being done to protect people’s private lives?
