Designing offices with less environmental impact: the example of EVEA in Nantes

Designing offices in line with our values and mission. Test our environmental assessment tools and methodological approach. Have a traditional developer and a young company specialized in the manufacture of reused wood furniture work together. Calculate the environmental impact and circularity of a development project...

 

A look back at a project where reuse, the quality of the service providers and elbow grease made the difference.

 

▪️The starting situation

 

2021. That year, contrary to the song, it wasn't rock'n'roll that opened its wings, it was EVEA that took flight. The result: a growth in the number of employees in our offices in Lyon and Troyes, but above all in Nantes, a city that is home to two marvels: the Château des Ducs de Bretagne and EVEA's headquarters, just a stone's throw from Place Graslin. High ceilings, beautiful moldings, but room for 25 people, while we were nearly 40.

 

A meaningful project

The team in charge of the development project had one goal: that this project reflect EVEA's values and professions, through a sober development, and above all :

• The least impacting possible, with the desire to measure and quantify the environmental impact of the project;
• In symbiosis with our mode of shared governance and our status as a Scop, in other words, by making our decisions in a concerted manner, by consulting the teams and by choosing partners who put people at the heart of their activities;
• With the social aspect at heart, by prioritizing the well-being of the team and the respect of our partners.

 

Controlling our costs

On the financial level too, sobriety was the order of the day. Each expense was carefully considered, and the creation of a provisional budget quickly served as a control panel. The idea was to have a framework, a global envelope and a straw for the thirst in case of misadventure.

 

▪️Time to choose

 

In the heart of the city

The location of the new office was not chosen at random. We chose the 3rd floor of a relatively new building on the Île-de-Nantes, rue Arthur III. In the heart of the city and the Creation district, easily accessible by bike, streetcar or bus.

 

Reuse, reuse, reuse

This was our leitmotiv. To minimize our impact, we not only kept all of our equipment from the old premises, but we maximized what existed in the new premises. We did not wipe out the past, we capitalized on the present to set the table for our future. A somewhat frugal method, but quite virtuous.

 

Calculate

Our building team calculated the environmental benefits of the choices that were made, thanks to a calculation tool (designed by Tim Osmond and Emmanuel Peteuil) of the circularity footprint. You will discover below all that this tool allowed us to calculate.

 

▪️Taking action

 

A dedicated team

To concretely carry out this project, we gathered 6 volunteers, who, in addition to their daily work, moved each step forward every week for 9 months, keeping the teams regularly informed.

 

A specific set of specifications

The specifications took into account the functional needs of the teams and the environmental requirements:

• Limit the amount of virgin material by favoring the reuse of existing materials on the site (partitions, doors, lighting, etc.);
• Make responsible purchases for all new materials and favor local materials;
• Honouring the products of certain clients for whom we have produced environmental and health data sheets (EDS) or eco-design procedures;
• Working with local partners (CIGNE, 100 Détours, Transport CHEVROT, ESAT L'Etape Tournière, OCABURO, Envie 44);
• Limit energy consumption, for example by favoring natural light in the "living" spaces, LED or low energy lighting, etc.;
• Plan frugal design or interior architecture elements that can be disassembled and reused for a future move.

 

Results are in

 

In the end, the results were satisfactory:

• 9 months of preparation, 1 month of major work, 1 month of installation of furniture elements;
• Costs under control;
• Satisfied teams;
• Clear environmental indicators.

Our kitchen in its "raw" state: a set bought on Le Bon Coin, dressed and optimized by our partner 100 Détours (overcycled wood worktop and sanded oak panels)

 

▪️The reuse to the test of numbers

 

At EVEA SAS Cooperative, we provide consulting, training and software tools. To measure our environmental indicators, we used one of the tools developed as part of an office design impact reduction project.

 

The objective of the tool: to evaluate the environmental benefits by tracking the following indicators:

• Circularity (the average, as a percentage, of 1. Incoming material from recycling, reuse or re-employment divided by total incoming material and 2. The outgoing material subject to recovery, divided by the total outgoing material)
• CO2 avoided (the carbon impact avoided in kg eq. CO2/m2, compared to a "standard", traditional development scenario)
• Recycled content of incoming material [the mass of material from recycling, in kg/m2 FPS (floor area)
• The reused or reemployed content of the input material [the mass of material resulting from reuse (same use) or reutilization (different use), in kg/m2 FPS].
• The recovery of the outgoing material [the mass of material subject to material recovery (recycling, reuse), in kg/m2 SDP].
• Transport intensity (the carbon impact generated by the transport of products to supply the site, in ton km/m2 SDP)

 

The emission factors are derived from:

• Data from the calculation tool for partitions, lighting, new offices, kitchen (worktop) [sources FDES or ADEME or other LCA].
• Data from the FDES (Fiche de déclaration environnementale et sanitaire) for the floors and for the sink
• ADEME data for screens, office chairs and household appliances
• Our estimate of a lifespan of the furnishings (in reuse vs. "standard") of 6 years, with a surface area of 568 m2

 

Results:

Indicator results for EVEA ^^

 

Comparative table of circularity indicators between a standard layout and the EVEA layout ^^

 

The comparison of the circularity rates with a "standard" development shows that our reuse strategy has paid off.

We "avoided" about 45 kg CO2 eq/m2 SDP. In other words, if we compare ourselves with a standard development project (with new materials), we have divided our carbon impact by about 2 by reusing. This strategy is also visible when we look at the balance of incoming materials, with 79% of materials recycled, reused or re-employed.

 

In conclusion, the results of these calculations are quite interesting. However, it is not easy to achieve such results. Why not? Precisely because nothing is standardized and this type of work is still made to measure. Today, re-use is not the norm. It is done outside the traditional circuits. It requires a lot of elbow grease and a good knowledge of local actors. But it is feasible in office design, it is perhaps easier than in other sectors. And it's worth the effort. ▪️

Cécile Touret, Elise Lejeune, Noémie Rigaud, Fabien Bouton and Damien Delmotte

 

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Contact details of our main partners for this project:

CIGNE

📍3 rue Maryse Bastié BP 78411 ▪️44984 Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire Cedex

📱02 51 85 08 20

📧 contact@cigne.fr

 

100 DETOURS

📍10 rue de Panama ▪️79240 La Chapelle Saint-Étienne

📱05 49 74 05 63

📧info@100detours.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/100_detours/