Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France and Exprimm, subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction, as members of Sophi*, a specially constituted development company, have been awarded a public-private partnership contract with the University of Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) for the reconstruction of the Clignancourt Centre, located in the 18th Arrondissement of Paris.

This public-private partnership covers the financing, design and construction of the campus, for an amount of €44 million (excl. VAT), as well as operation of the facility for a 28-year period, for a total amount of €43 million (excl. VAT).

The operation includes the demolition of the 5,300 m² of existing buildings, dating back to 1968, and the construction of a new 21,000 m² complex of buildings, which will be capable of receiving roughly 6,000 students when fully complete. The new complex will consist of 8 lecture theatres (one of which will double as a 500-seat auditorium), teaching rooms, offices, a new library (4,500 m²) and a sports hall (1,500 m²).

The operation of the Centre includes both preventive and curative maintenance services, major repairs and renovation for 28 years, along with numerous other services including cleaning, room preparation and fire safety.

Particular attention has been given to integrating the project in its environment. The siting of the three common facilities (auditorium, library and sports hall) on the street frontage gives the project a highly visible profile, particularly since these are facilities that operate outside normal university hours. The campus will become a focal point for activity in a neighbourhood that is undergoing considerable change. The project will entail stringent environmental compliance because it has been designed in accordance with the criteria of the "Very High Environmental Performance" label.

The demolition works will begin in September. All the teaching rooms will be available for the start of the 2011-2012 academic year, while all the common facilities will be brought into service in 2013. At peak periods, the works will occupy up to 130 employees. Later, roughly twenty employees will be involved in operating the Centre.

This contract reflects Bouygues Construction's know-how in the schools and universities sector. Among other projects, the company has been working on the renovation of part of the University of Paris' Jussieu campus since 2007 while the university has remained open. 
 

* Sophi is a company specifically set up for this project. Its shareholders are the Bouygues Construction subsidiaries Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France and Exprimm, along with the SEIEF investment funds and Dexia Crédit Local.