Press Releases 2022-05-19
May 19, 2022
Sustainable Real Estate: AVENTIM and Aire Nouvelle Break Ground on the HOPE Project
On Monday, May 16, 2022, in Villeneuve d’Ascq (59), Hugues Joubert, Executive Chairman of AVENTIM, and Marc Daumas, CEO of Aire Nouvelle—a low-carbon real estate development and property management subsidiary of EQUANS France— Gérard Caudron, Mayor of Villeneuve d’Ascq, and Didier Dufour, Mayor of Lezennes, officially launched construction on the HOPE real estate project. Located at the junction of Villeneuve d’Ascq and Lezennes, two municipalities in the southeastern part of the Lille metropolitan area, this complex of four commercial buildings with a total gross floor area of 26,000 m² aims to revitalize the neighborhood economically and will notably house the future headquarters of the social housing provider Vilogia.
A LARGE-SCALE PROGRAM TO ENHANCE THE REGION'S ATTRACTIVENESS AND VITALITY
Designed by the architectural firm Avant-Propos, Hope is a complex of four modular commercial buildings with a unified architectural style, complemented by a service building named La Pépite. Located on the Borne de l’Espoir, a 10-hectare site, the location is ideally connected, just 10 minutes by metro from the Lille Flandres and Lille Europe train stations and 10 minutes by car from Lille-Lesquin Airport. It will also feature a shared parking lot with approximately 580 spaces. As part of the City of Villeneuve d’Ascq’s “Grand Angle” project—which aims to redevelop the city’s entrance into a more attractive neighborhood—Hope is a large-scale project that benefits the local community.
“This is a project we’ve been working on for several years with local authorities to bring economic vitality and a high quality of life to the future users of this site, all while ensuring it is as seamlessly integrated into the environment as possible and true to our DNA ,” says Christophe Janet, Managing Director and Partner at Aventim.
Phase 1, consisting of three office buildings with a total gross floor area of 17,000 m² and La Pépite (2,000 m² gross floor area), is scheduled for completion in late 2023. Buildings B2 and B3, with a combined gross floor area of 11,314 m², have been leased to the social housing provider Vilogia, which has long been established in the town of Villeneuve d’Ascq and wishes to bring its 500 employees together on a single site. For the remaining building, designated B1, with a gross floor area (GFA) of 5,729 m², several prominent companies have expressed interest.
Upon completion of Phase 2, scheduled for early 2025, the HOPE project will include a fourth office building, B4, with a gross floor area (SDP) of 6,930 m², which will mark the final phase of this development.
A RESPONSIBLE APPROACH TO BALANCING A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Bio-based materials, controlled water management, greenery, and optimized spatial layout to reduce heating needs and increase natural light are the four key areas identified to make the HOPE project a driver of sustainable development.
Using exclusively locally sourced wood from France or Europe, the HOPE project will feature a wood structure covering more than 15,000 m² of gross floor area. Featuring spacious terraces and a landscaped central courtyard of over 2,000 m², the site was designed to maximize natural light, with 96% of the area receiving direct sunlight. Designed with the well-being of its occupants in mind, it aims for BREEAM EXCELLENT certification, E2C1 level, and primary energy consumption 30% lower than the current RT 2012 standard.
“This project is part of a low-carbon initiative that benefits from the partnerships Aventim has forged with wood industry manufacturers, allowing us to work within a short supply chain. This responsible approach is reinforced by the joint development with Aire Nouvelle,” says Hugues Joubert, Executive Chairman of Aventim.
“ As EQUANS France’s low-carbon real estate development and property management subsidiary, Aire Nouvelle is proud to work alongside AVENTIM to enhance the appeal of the Villeneuve d’Ascq neighborhood and make its operations more environmentally friendly, while offering residents a better quality of life. Resolutely focused on a sustainable future and making the most of digital technologies through BIM, the Hope project is in line with EQUANS’s core mission: to support the energy, digital, and industrial transition of regions,” summarizes Marc Daumas, CEO of Aire Nouvelle, EQUANS France’s low-carbon real estate development and property management subsidiary.
“We are proud to be part of an environmentally exemplary building that will contribute to the well-being of the 500 employees who will be moving into the site,” adds Philippe Remignon, President of Vilogia.
