Subtainable housing: a response to concrete issues

Because the earth’s resources are not infinite, because health issues linked to pollution are omnipresent, Bouygues Construction’s R&D team has swung into action to reduce humankind’s impact on the environment in a context that is just as complex as that of the housing or tertiary sectors. With the aim of the technique and innovations serving the environment and well-being of its inhabitants, the ABC concept was born: Autonomous Building for Citizens.

Developed with Suez and Valode & Pistre architects, the ABC concept offers autonomous housing, freeing itself from usual networks for a better control of energy expenses. Designed within a global framework, it includes all environmental, technical, economic and social aspects of future buildings.

A is for Autonomous: towards autonomous buildings

Packed with innovations, this building aims for water and energy autonomy, as well as an optimisation of waste management. In fact, rainwater will be collected and made drinkable, waste water will be treated and reused. The energy produced by the photovoltaic cells is stored in batteries and provides electricity to the building, apartments and the heating system. ABC offers a different way of thinking about and experiencing housing. Waste is sorted and recovered via composting. Embedded within their natural environment, these innovative homes draw the resources they need from directly from their surroundings.

B is for Building: a new sustainable and smart building

To do this, Bouygues and its partners have reviewed all their processes. We have used innovative technologies and expertise in order to make this new type of building that we have imagined a reality. Some of the stages in the construction process rely on standardisation methods to build faster while maintaining very high levels of quality.

C is for Citizens: areas to meet the citizens’ expectations

Today, citizens have new expectations and wish to have areas dedicated to their comfort. We included their concerns in our thinking process, in order to design housing that favours well-being and exchange between inhabitants.  The inhabitants will also be the major players with regards to the building’s autonomy. Continuously informed of their consumption, they will be able to adjust it and develop sharing practices, thus creating social connections and togetherness.