Bréquigny is the largest high school in the Brittany region, with 3,500 students and a surface area of 20,000m². It hosts a day school and boarders in its accommodation buildings.
Bréquigny High School: Eco-friendly construction for a new generation.
Rennes, France
We refurbished this French high school to eco-friendly standards, with minimal environmental impact and at a third of the cost of a new build.
Client
Brittany Regional Council
Brittany Region / Sembreizh
Construction: Legendre consortium
Architect: Anthracite Architecture
Timeline
2018-2020
Benefit
- 10,000 m² of facilities refurbished
- 1/3 of the energy usage of normal construction
- 370 tonnes of 'embodied CO2' stored
Awards
- 'Construction and Fit-Out' winner at France's Grand Prix National de l'Ingénierie 2020
- Green Solution Award 2021 France
About Bréquigny.
An eco-friendly upgrade.
3,500+students benefit
A fresh look, with eco-friendly materials.
10,000m² facilities upgraded
Careful management meant minimal disruption.
-65% Lower CO2
Fewer emissions than traditional construction.
The challenge.
Low-carbon and low-disruption construction.
After some 60 years of usage, the Lycée Bréquigny was in need of an upgrade to ensure that it could continue serving students from across the region.
The regional authorities wished to refurbish the building rather than build an entirely new structure in order to maximise the building's lifetime and avoid disruption to local education services.
Conscious of the climate emergency, the authorities were also looking for a partner who could deliver an upgrade that would have a low carbon impact during the build, while also being energy efficient in the long term.
The school provides education to some 3,500 students, including accommodation for boarders. All of whom are preparing for the crucial baccalaureate university entrance exams. It was therefore vital that the works should not disrupt classes.
Following our successful refurbishment of the Lycée Colbert in Lorient in 2015, the local authorities entrusted us with the engineering and construction project management for the school.
Imagine.
Collaborative, low cost and eco-friendly design.
To meet the needs of the regional council, teaching staff and students, we followed a collaborative approach to design and development. We adopted a partnership approach to the design of this project based on iterative work and permanent collaboration with all partners. Supported by digital mock-ups, the project was custom-designed and continuously improved.
In order to reduce the carbon footprint of the build, we proposed that the school use bio-based materials. Wood is a renewable resource and captures carbon dioxide when growing. This makes it carbon-negative - unlike traditional bricks, mortar and concrete building materials which are responsible for extensive greenhouse gas emissions.
As we wanted to minimise disruption to school life, we developed a careful project schedule, with optimised traffic flows. The most intensive stages of construction were planned for school holidays, and we opted for off-site prefabrication to keep the noise of construction equipment to a minimum.
We also enhanced safety by keeping the most hazardous waste off-site.
Create.
Offsite build meets smart project management.
The project involved the renovation of the day school and accommodation buildings to improve energy efficiency. We also converted the old canteen into a lobby, upgraded the facility management centre, staff room and library, and built a brand new canteen.
Smart project management meant we reduced traffic around the site and therefore cut disruption to lessons. The decision to use prefabricated wall frames and roof joints further reduced the disruption of students and teachers by minimising time spent on-site and noise.
To reduce the project's carbon footprint, we chose to use wooden frames. As a biomaterial, wood naturally stores carbon dioxide – representing 370 tonnes of 'embodied' CO2 in this project alone – helping directly combat the climate emergency.
We selected a prefabrication factory less than 50km from the construction site, reducing carbon emissions and air pollution even further. We also installed a smart energy management system on the site to collect and process energy consumption data. This means the school can optimise its energy usage further in future.
Achieve.
An affordable, transferable model.
In the space of 10 months, 10,000 m² of facilities on an occupied site were refurbished using a unique methodology that can be replicated on similar ageing facilities. This innovative model combines low-carbon renovation, minimal disruption and a low-cost approach to extending the lifetime of public assets.
For students, teachers and the local community, the refurbishment means the school has a fresh feel and is a positive place to live, work and study.
For the local authority, the choice to refurbish the school provided major cost savings - especially compared to the price of building the school anew. The cost of renovation is roughly one-third of the cost of building an entirely new structure.
In light of the climate emergency, the choice of wood as a key structural material has multiple benefits. Not only is wood an entirely renewable building material, but it also stores carbon dioxide for decades, thereby helping to tackle climate change.
Lycée Brequigny awarded for the GPNI
