In Lyon, a former garage gives way to a positive energy building

Launched in 2016, the Zadiga-Cité project has not been a long calm river. Indeed, in March 2019, this former station market garage, located in the Confluence district, was destroyed by fire: “Only the interior posts and walls remained. The steel poles were in bad shape. We had no choice then but to drop everything and start from scratch.“, says Thierry Roche, the architect of the project. While preserving the ground and the foundations, the building was reconstructed identically with the exception of the roof which took on the appearance of sheds. Objective: (re) give life to a heritage witness to the industrial, commercial and logistical history of the site.

Located on a former industrial wasteland, the 1,320 m2 construction was not limited to its aesthetic aspect, since it also aims to be exemplary in terms of sustainability. Indeed, the building will produce more energy than it consumes and will achieve the E+C label – level E4C2. According to estimates, it will consume 92 kWh/m²/year for a production of 117 kWh/m²/year. To achieve this result, the architects bet on a reinforced design. On the program: orientation of the building, solar cap to the West, significant natural lighting with the Sheds oriented to the North + Skylight, possibility of Freecooling. Regarding the envelope, it has a high thickness of biosourced insulation (wood wool) combined with concrete, wooden frame walls, a roof with wooden boxes and steel deck covers and wooden exterior joinery. The construction is equipped with a heat pump new generation that works with low outside temperatures, as well as 650 m2 of panels photovoltaic on the roof. “Living in a superb building, without consuming anything, is possible”, hopes to prove Eric Gagnière, president of the Lyon group Scipag, investor in the project. No air conditioneror over-equipment: ” Here, everything is calculated down to the smallest detail, in particular thanks to the digital model to optimize the building.“, notes the architect Thierry Roche.

A place to reflect on the city of tomorrow

The future occupants, the Scipag group and its subsidiary JMG Partners, Atelier Thierry Roche & Associés and the Esprit des Sens agency, will take possession of the premises in the coming weeks before an inauguration in June: “Zadiga-cité is a place but also a spirit”, says the director of the Esprit des Sens agency. Installed on a future huge field of 6 hectares, the site will allow its occupants, all involved in their activity on issues of regional development, to reflect on the city of tomorrow.