TIMBER CONSTRUCTION NEWS
French timber stands tall A new hybrid timber and concrete tower is under construction in
the built environment – not only in France but in the UK and across the
Bordeaux and could prove to be symbolic of France’s commitment
world – is to build more durable structures using higher quantities of
to using structural timber. Hypérion will be a mixed scheme of
sustainable timber. The Hypérion tower is the perfect example of how
apartments offices and shops, designed by architect Jean-Paul
this can be achieved.”
Viguier and built by Eiffage Immobilier using structural HEXAPLI cross laminated timber (CLT) supplied by Piveteaubois.
France recently made a progressive, sustainable construction move, with President Emmanuel Macron stating that any new public buildings
Hypérion will be the tallest timber residential tower built in France
financed by the French state, must contain 50% wood or other natural
and is situated at the centre of the Saint-Jean Belcier district of Bordeaux,
materials by 2022. As well as timber and wood-based material, this can
that is undergoing regeneration and a vast urban renewal programme
also include options such as hemp and straw and any organic material
including the construction of a new TGV (high speed train) station.
that has a significantly lower embodied carbon footprint, compared to
Eiffage Immobilier are building the 16-storey tower, with a floor
competing construction materials such as concrete and steel.
area of 17,000sqm, including 5,000sqm of timber flooring. The
The proposal aligns with France’s Sustainable City plan launched
82-apartment building will be constructed around a concrete core with
in 2009, and President Emmanuel Macron’s drive for the country to
engineered wood floors supported by a timber beam structure. The
be carbon-neutral by 2050. As well as an ambitious government plan
shell will consist of locally-manufactured, fully-finished timber framed
for a greener urban life, the country and Paris in particular is under the
walls. Taking its name from the largest tree in the world, the Hypérion
spotlight as the host of the 2024 Olympics. The new law encourages
timber tower is 55m high and comprises 1100m3 of CLT and 130m3
the use of ‘bio-based’ materials in the construction of the 2024 Paris
of glulam with the building’s backbone built using HEXAPLI CLT from
Olympics complex, with any building in the development rising more
Piveteaubois.
than eight storeys to be built entirely from timber. The proposal hopes to
With high volumes of material required and the primary aim to use
make the 2024 Paris Olympic Games the most sustainable Olympics yet.
locally sourced timber, Eiffage Immobilier turned to Piveteaubois as
Speaking to Le Figaro, French Minister for Cities and Housing
the only serious contender with production of 50,000m3 of engineered
Julien Denormandie said: “We made this commitment for the Olympic
timber per year and 50,000m3 capacity for CLT production – exclusively
Games. There is no reason why what is possible for the Olympic Games
in French timber. The Hypérion tower is set to save 14.7 tonnes of
should not be possible for everyday construction.” Denormandie’s plans
carbon emissions per apartment, an amount equivalent to that released
to make France’s construction industry more sustainable, follows a
by a small car covering 206,000km in urban conditions.
number of other eco-friendly initiatives in recent months in response
“We are very proud to be involved with this landmark project and
to the growing effects of climate change, including Parisian plans to
supplying HEXAPLI CLT,” said Elisabeth Piveteau-Boley, Director UK &
go greener by planting ‘urban forests’ around its many architectural
Ireland, Piveteaubois. “The Douglas fir used for the CLT is all sourced
landmarks.
locally and being PEFC-certified is guaranteed to be from legal and More at www.piveteaubois.com
sustainable forests. The only way to achieve the decarbonisation of
Timber Construction Magazine
Summer 2020
06
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