A consortium led by Richez Associés appointed to develop Carré Sénart

The Sénart Operation of National Interest is acquiring external project management for the rest of its projects. The eponymous Public Development Establishment (EPA) announces that, at the beginning of January, it has appointed a consortium led by the Richez Associés agency to provide urban project management for the development of Carte Sénart. The winners will have the particular mission of improving the functional diversity of the Carré, “locomotive” of the former New Town of Sénart, to the south-east of Paris.

Consisting in particular of a 156,000 m2 shopping center, 40,000 m2 of offices, a large-scale health center, several secondary and higher education establishments, and a national stage, the Théâtre-Sénart, the OIN must “consolidate” both its structuring role and its functional mix, explains the EPA.

Urban, architectural and landscape coordination and operational implementation

Under the project management of EPA Sénart, in connection with the cities concerned and the Greater Paris South Agglomeration, the project management team will be responsible for ensuring the urban, architectural and landscaping coordination of the operations by supporting the operational implementation of construction programs.

The mission entrusted to the consortium also covers the design and management of works for the implementation of public spaces and networks: to date, recalls the EPA, 75% of public spaces have been completed, but secondary roads (in particular footpaths) remain to be completed. In this respect, the question of supporting users of Carré Sénart in the use of soft mobility, and strengthening links with neighboring municipalities, “will also be part of the avenues of reflection and future missions of the project manager”.

A group organized into three poles

Richez Associés has surrounded itself with teams from A Concept, Adequation and Ville Ouverte, as well as Tugec, Confluences and Transitec. The organization of the selected group is based on 3 poles: sustainable design (Richez and A Concept), programming and consultation (Adequation and Open City), Engineering (Tugec, Confluences and Transitec). The agency Richez Associés, conductor of the entire group, has created for the occasion, a steering unit with the project managers of each of the members, and will be able to call on an anthropologist from time to time.

The team must allow Carré Sénart “to further accelerate its transformation in order to increase its functions of centrality and its diversity”, explains Aude Debreil, Director General of the EPA. In particular, it will have the task of associating “Innovative business premises and offices, cultural and leisure activities, teaching center and differentiating housing”continues the leader.

An establishment accustomed to working in management, which recently opened up its working method

This consultation is a continuation of the one launched by the EPA in 2020, following which the developer selected five teams of coordinating urban planners to continue the urban implementation of its development projects at the scale of five areas of intervention: three sectors including municipalities in the territory of the OIN of Sénart, and two beyond the OIN (Le Clos Saint-Louis, in Dammarie-les-Lys, and the sector of Villaroche in Réau).

“For a public establishment accustomed since its creation to providing management, with its own teams and means, of the project management of its operations, this transition to new working methods has made it possible to arouse new points of view and crusaders. A plural and collegial way of working has taken hold”, rejoices Aude Debreil. This is the conclusion “very positive” of this collaboration, which led the EPA to adopt a similar logic for the continuation of the development of Carré Sénart. She is “convinced that the alliance between the expertise of the EPA Sénart teams, and the fresh and multidisciplinary view of the very complete team formed around Richez Associés on the Carré Sénart, will make it possible to achieve the objectives”.