In the heart of downtown Saint-Pierre, a residence has freed itself from active air conditioning, preferring the bioclimatic solution and vegetation as tools in the fight against global warming.
Alors que la climatisation n’a jamais été autant utilisée dans le monde, une résidence nichée en plein cœur de Saint-Pierre a choisi, elle, de s’en passer. Un défi dans une île tropicale, d’autant plus en milieu urbain.
On the occasion of the release of issue no. 40 of its magazine Info Nature and the publication of an article on l’îlet du centre, la Srepen (Société réunionnais pour l’étude et la protection de la nature) a souhaité visiter la résidence, et faire le point treize ans après sa conception.
" The aim is to focus on new constructions and the role of vegetation in the habitat, but also to show that Réunion has an excellent research centre in this field. ", indicate Bernadette Ardon and Jean-Claude Futhazar, respectivement présidente et secrétaire de la Société Réunionnaise pour l’Etude et la Protection de l’Environnement (SREPEN).
Erected on a former nursery, the Luspot family's Luspot, l’îlet du Centre houses 66 housing units and 315 m² of office space, including those in Leu Reunion, the urban ecology laboratory founded by Michel Reynaud and Antoine Perrauthe architects of this bioclimatic project.
Inside, only a few air blowers allow to temper the overwhelming heat from the outside. The "passive" building was designed to provide thermal comfort without air conditioning. Housing and offices are walk-through, allowing for natural ventilation, and built on Semi-pilotis for basement ventilation.
A garden tenant serviced
Insulating materials, solar protection, open urban islands, respect for the topography of the site, opening towards the South, louvers with varangues and windows, photovoltaic panels ... The architecture of the residence is such that the difference in temperature felt is 5°C between inside and outside, even up to 15°C.
A difference that is also made possible by the lush vegetation of l’Îlet du centre. In the middle of the buildings are indeed extending 2000 m² de « jardin-forêt » tropicalwhere white sweet-smelling wood, nettle wood, stinking wood and other xerophytic plants grow peacefully. " These are not ordinary plants, some were saved by the Srepen, others by the architects... " says Bernadette Ardon.
La SREPEN a d’ailleurs été associée au choix des espèces et l’impact du végétal sur le bâtiment étudié en collaboration avec le laboratoire PIMENT de l’université de La Réunion.
No sprinklers here. An impluvium collects rainwater for re-injection. Zero green waste also thanks to three composters set up. The fruits and seeds are preserved and recovered by the nurserymen.
The greenery is maintained under differentiated management by the tenants themselves, once a month, on a voluntary basis. Emmanuel made out of these green hands. Tenant since 2011, he admits to "not having really believed in the project at the beginning". Today, man is fully involved. "We also find ourselves, with those who do not necessarily come gardening, over coffee or a picnic. It is essential that people be aware of where they live, that they see the benefits and not the and get to know each other," he says.
" People don't necessarily have the bioclimatic model instructions. It was necessary to raise awareness among the citizen-buyer or tenant ", explains Michel Reynaud.
Awareness to be extended to the general public and a model of ecological and economical housing that will undoubtedly be used as a model for future real estate constructions in order to " lowering the climate of cities and enabling them to adapt to climate change. ».
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Source : Le Quotidien de la Réunion – Gaëlle GUILLOU – 23 décembre 2019