CHU de Caen: maximum requirements, tailor-made solutions from our Equans experts
The Caen University Hospital is undergoing a facelift, entrusting its HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) and plumbing expertise to Axima's experts at Equans. Since the pandemic, public health issues have been ranked at the highest level.
Integrating Europe's largest HVAC design office, Axima is able to study, design and install solutions that take into account all parameters to guarantee strict air and water quality.
In operation since 1975, the Caen University Hospital will soon make way for a new hospital complex on the existing site. The new buildings will welcome their first patients in 2026. Axima, a subsidiary of Equans France, is acting as a consortium leader with Fouchard, a company based in Normandy, and is responsible for HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) and plumbing works, with the highest standards of air and water quality. AIA Life Designer is in charge of project management for the entire project.
Healthier, more virtuous air quality
Since the pandemic, healthcare establishments have been keen to adjust the direction of air flows in patient rooms according to the pathologies to be treated, involving the management of pressure cascades.
Aware of the viral transmission of diseases by air in health centers, Axima's experts will set up an indoor air partitioning system. Each of the 35 operating theatres and 26 imaging rooms will be independent. These rooms are classified according to the risks associated with each pathology and the degree of contagiousness.
In concrete terms, the aeraulic systems will be separate for each hospital sector, with one air handling unit per risk level and per operating theatre. When it comes to air quality, the hygiene of the fluids conveyed is of paramount importance. As a result, the highest standards are set for the operating, intensive care and medical imaging sectors. This quality imperative is reflected right from the preliminary design stage.
As IT security is also a key concern for the CHU, Axima will provide air conditioning for the mini data center housed within the facility.
“ We need to rethink the hospital. Having a sustainable, scalable hospital is essential today. We need to find the right compromise between more new technologies and controlling energy consumption. Of course, the consequences on the HVAC package are significant, but air treatment solutions and heat recovery technologies were found during the design of the future Caen University Hospital. ”
Plumbing and water treatment
As with air, water quality is a major issue in hospitals. It must be perfectly compliant with health requirements. Wastewater disposal is also of strategic importance, especially in certain areas such as those exposed to X-rays. The system installed by Axima will enable the treatment of radioactively-laden water, which is sent to specially-designed tanks.
“ In 2026, with 929 beds and 97,000 m2 of facilities, the Caen University Hospital will be a model for meeting the region's healthcare needs. As part of Equans, Axima is delighted to be contributing to its reconstruction by deploying a unique range of expertise to meet health requirements. With its secure solutions, Equans is true to its ambition to protect, connect and supply the infrastructures and establishments that are essential to our daily lives. ”
