Bouygues Immobilier’s Sensations construction program aims to build France’s tallest residential tower made entirely of wood. A pioneer of its kind, this project reaches a height of 38 meters, with a surface area of 9,282 m² distributed as follows 146 apartments, from studio to T5, and 6 commercial spaces, spread over 3 buildings of 8 to 11 floors.

Architectural description:

The project is avant-garde in many ways, particularly in its structure. The whole of the 3 buildings is almost entirely made of natural and biosourced materials, including the vertical circulation cores, i.e. the elevators and the staircases. In total, 3,500 m3 of wood were required to erect the whole. Like the floors, the load-bearing walls and the facade, they are made of cross-laminated timber (CLT panel), combined with a laminated wood. Only the flights of stairs and the load bearing first floor base are made of concrete, for regulatory reasons. Bathed in natural light, a guarantee of well-being and energy savings, most of the apartments are walk-through and systematically offer an outdoor living space: balcony, terrace or private garden.

Building energy:

• Heating is provided by a geothermal heat pump and a collective condensing gas boiler as a backup. This combination provides the energy needs of the building, to produce both heating and domestic hot water.
• Cooling is carried out by natural-cooling via geothermal energy. In the RT2012 calculation engine, the cooling is simulated by a heat pump with a COP of 100 and an absorbed power of 20 kW corresponding to the power of the well pumps and circulator.
• The ventilation is provided by a single flow humidity sensitive type B with low consumption boxes. The extractors are installed on the roof terraces of the building.
• The structure of SENSATIONS meets a passive energy level, underlined by the NF Habitat HQE (High Environmental Quality) certification. Its performance levels meet the most stringent and advanced requirements: RT2012 level Bepas and BBCA level Excellence.

Environmental impact of the building:

Life cycle analysis:

• False ceilings are able to eliminate 80% of the main volatile organic compounds (VOC);
• Floor coverings are made of natural and recyclable materials;
• Wall paints are classified A+ with low solvent emissions; In addition, fire and seismic risks have been anticipated: the technicality of cross-laminated timber panels (CLT) ensures the most drastic guarantees.

Indoor air quality: representing 9,282m² of surface area, the 3 SENSATIONS buildings pay particular attention to indoor air quality. The buildings have low pollutant emissions, guaranteeing a healthier environment that respects nature. The indoor air quality of the apartments is improved using low-emission materials covering the walls, ceilings and floors.