April 14, 2025
Comfort, energy efficiency, and aesthetics: Equans France rises to the challenge of Maison Heler
On March 27, Maison Heler opened its doors in Metz. This extraordinary hotel was designed by the renowned designer Philippe Starck. Maison Heler enlisted Axima, a division of Equans France, to install the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, thereby combining comfort, energy efficiency, and aesthetic appeal.
Comfort and Aesthetics: The Challenges of Starck’s Masterpiece
The Maison Heler Hotel in Metz. Credit: Julius Hirtzberger / Maison Heler
Maison Heler certainly doesn’t go unnoticed: standing 40 meters tall, the nine stories of this 4-star hotel are topped by an 18th-century Lorraine-style house, which houses a bar-restaurant opening onto a tree-lined rooftop terrace.
The challenge for this establishment, with its architecture as bold as it is demanding, is to ensure the comfort of guests in its 104 rooms and suites without compromising the design.
Axima ensures optimal thermal comfort for Maison Heler’s guests through custom-designed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. To respect the aesthetic vision conceived by Philippe Starck, the installed equipment was adapted to the hotel’s shapes, volumes, and colors. Another major challenge: acoustic comfort.
In a high-end establishment, silence is a luxury that cannot be compromised. To prevent any noise pollution from the ventilation system, Axima opted for oversized equipment.
This technical design allows air to circulate more slowly through the ductwork, thereby drastically reducing airflow and vibration noise. The result: efficient air conditioning that is virtually invisible and inaudible.
Energy Efficiency and Guest Safety: Behind the Scenes at a High-End Hotel Complex
Maison Heler complies with the High Environmental Quality (HQE) standards and RT2012 (which guarantees the energy performance of buildings). The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems installed by Axima are designed to meet these standards.
They are also connected to the Metz Eurometropolis (UEM) district heating and chilled water network, which is powered by local, low-carbon energy sources such as biomass.
Finally, to ensure the safety of occupants, Axima has installed standalone detectors directly on the air handling units. Capable of shutting down ventilation in the event of smoke, they are supplemented by an emergency shut-off device.
“Maison Heler was a real challenge for our teams. We had to meet the requirements of a facility like this, both technically and aesthetically. The result is a testament to our efforts. We are proud to have contributed our expertise to this project, which combines occupant comfort with a commitment to the environment,”
concludes Mathieu Barrier, project manager for the Axima Lorraine office, a division of Equans France, based in Metz.
