This week, Adrien LONG explores the fascinating topic of rooftop extensions. A key urban issue, this solution enables new spaces to be created without further land sealing, while respecting the existing aesthetic and heritage.
Visionary architect Maud Caubet, founder of Maud Caubet Architectes, continues to redefine urban architecture through bold and purposeful projects. Her latest work, the rehabilitation of the Racine Tower in Paris’ 12th arrondissement, showcases a design approach rooted in reuse—enriched by poetry, performance, and the nurturing presence of nature.
💡 A reversible design philosophy
For the Racine Tower, Maud Caubet applies her firm’s long-term design approach, based on reversibility. By anticipating future needs, the iconic 1970s building is transformed into a versatile, future-proof space.
🍃 Material-sensitive architecture
She integrates bio-sourced materials and reintroduces greenery at the heart of urban projects for what she calls “joyful and caring architecture.” At Racine, plants take over the street level and tower base, extend to productive rooftop uses, and feature an agricultural greenhouse beneath a new bioclimatic crown.
🌍 Commitment to the common good
Far from fleeting trends, Maud Caubet creates lasting, ecological, and socially-minded spaces. “An architect creates poetic spaces and acts politically by serving the public interest,” she affirms.
🌟 Thank you to Emmanuelle Graffin for this beautiful feature!
Since 2023, the Travaux Suspendus association, born from the Cabestan cooperative, has applied the “suspended coffee” concept to the building sector.
The idea? Help vulnerable households—those poorly housed or facing energy insecurity—access home renovation through collective solidarity. Building professionals and cooperatives step in to fund and carry out work not covered by public programs. A first project with the National Association of Companion Builders helped a single mother escape energy poverty.
👏 Kudos to Travaux Suspendus for their inspiring commitment to dignity, ecology, and mutual aid!
📅 On October 15 & 16, 2024, the must-attend ARCHISTORM-organized fair will turn Atelier Richelieu (60 rue de Richelieu) into an experiential space focused on materials for architecture, design, decoration, and interior layout.
This unique event blends exceptional materials and industrial solutions to foster creative synergy.
🎤 Don’t miss the roundtables hosted by Annabelle Ledoux, founder of Les Grandes Idées, exploring the power of materials in contemporary design.
EXTENDAM & VICARTEM have acquired the Atlas Hotel Brussels, located in the dynamic Dansaert district near the Grand Place. The project aims to transform the site into a 4-star independent boutique hotel that will elevate Brussels’ hospitality scene.
🔑 88 rooms in a cosmopolitan hub, offering a unique blend of comfort, elegance, and local flair.
EXTENDAM’s Inès de l’Aulnoit and Alexandre Guérin shared: “The Belgian market has always intrigued us. Since the pandemic, the hotel industry has bounced back, with RevPAR up 13.6% from 2019 to 2023. This acquisition fills a gap in the boutique hotel segment in Brussels.”
🔨 Next steps: major renovations to make the hotel a go-to for travelers seeking authenticity and style.
Ten years ago, Michel Leclercq—co-founder of Énergie Partagée and Énergies citoyennes en Pays de Vilaine (EPV)—inaugurated France’s first citizen wind farm in Béganne. This groundbreaking project united over 1,000 citizens and local businesses around renewable energy, marking a milestone in the community energy transition.
This honor rightly acknowledges Michel Leclercq’s tireless commitment. His work has inspired many similar projects across France, often supported by Énergie Partagée.
Today, Énergie Partagée continues to promote and support these initiatives nationwide, strengthening citizen involvement in the energy transition. The movement now encompasses nearly 370 citizen-led projects, all certified with the Énergie Partagée Label. Its funding tool, Énergie Partagée Investissement—supported by over 7,500 citizen shareholders—has co-financed 187 projects with €48 million to date.
As Erwan Boumard, Director of Énergie Partagée, notes: “Around 200 jobs in France are now linked to the citizen energy concept,” proving that its impact goes far beyond energy production.
Last week, Anne-Laure Camilotto shared ALTEV’s vision on historical building reuse. Preserving while modernizing gives new life to heritage while honoring its story.
By understanding a building’s role in its neighborhood and era, we can guide its transformation and ensure its relevance into the future. 🌍
On October 8, don’t miss the 5th edition of the Seine Axis Summit, organized by Le Journal du Grand Paris at Comet Bourse in Paris. Annabelle Ledoux will moderate the conference “Developing the Seine Axis.”
📅 When? October 8, 2024
📍 Where? Comet Bourse, Paris 2nd
🕒 2:10–3:20 PM | Topics:
– Social acceptance of major projects & civil society’s role, with:
🔹 Sandrine Samson (HAROPA PORT)
🔹 Luc Blanchard (France Nature Environnement IDF)
🔹 Bernard Landau (La Seine n’est pas à vendre)
🔹 Aymeric Cotrel (RTE Normandy)
– Towards the Seine and beyond, with:
🔹 Stéphane Bousquet (Voies navigables de France)
🔹 Estelle Bomberger-Rivot (Mayor of Nogent-sur-Seine)
🔹 Didier Leandri (Seine-Escaut Alliance)
🔹 Olivier Jamey (SeinePort Union)
🔹 Isabelle Leriquier – Lajeunie (Paris Seine Normandie)
🔹 Romain Tempez (Symbi’Ose, NORIAP)
Join this exciting conversation on the future of a vital strategic region.
Join us tomorrow at the BATIMAT trade fair for two conferences hosted by Annabelle Ledoux as part of the Architalks for BOOKSTORMING ARCHISTORM.
🗓 When? October 1st, starting at 3:30 p.m.
📍 Where? Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Hall 5.2 (Agora 5.2)
Conferences:
– The Mediterranean Example: Summer Comfort
⏰ 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.
With Enrico Frigerio (Architect, Frigerio Design Group, Italy), Jaafar Sijelmassi (Architect specialized in ecology and BIM, CEO of Sijelmassi & Partner, Morocco), Duygu Erten (Engineer/Architect and Economist, Turkey), Sonia Sanz (Senior Architect & Partner, Director of L35 Architects, Spain), and Amir Turki (Architect-Urban Planner, Chairman of UMAR, Tunisia).
🌍 International speakers will share climate-adapted solutions for Mediterranean regions.
– Renovation, Reuse, Recycling of Materials: International Feedback
⏰ 4:30 – 5:15 p.m.
With Bruno Gabbiani (Architect and Chairman of ALA Assoarchitetti, Italy), Andrea Tomasi and Alessia Tomasi (Architects and Co-owners of tomasi e associati – Studio d’architettura, Italy), Silvia Passoni (Lead Architect, BCBW, Delegate of the Brussels Chamber, CNOA, Order of Architects.be – Brussels-Capital and Walloon Brabant Council, Belgium), and Inès Dahmouni Mimita🌿 (Architect and Founder of MDArchitectes, Tunisia).
🌱 Discover inspiring practices around materials and building rehabilitation.
A must-attend event to discuss global challenges and local solutions!
There’s much talk about a return to normal—first post-COVID, now post-Olympics. But what about business travel, especially within mainland France? Conquérir magazine dives into the topic, highlighting the strong performance of hotel investment driven by rising average room rates and the momentum of key players like EXTENDAM, a leading management firm for budget and midscale hospitality investments in Europe.
📖 Read the full market analysis in the latest issue of Conquérir