the Order of Architects takes stock

All extensions of individual houses subject to planning permission now fall within the scope of RE2020, but not under the same conditions. Interrogates “Many times” by architects, the National Council of the Order provides, in a publication accessible online, details on the application of the new regulations.

The succession of texts and the time lag in the application of RE2020 “could give rise to some uncertainties for certain categories of work, more particularly the extensions of individual houses”explains the NOAC. The latter therefore requested the public authorities on the scope of application of the RE.

There RE2020sapplies to all surfaces, but not in the same way

The administration’s response leaves no room for doubt: since January 1, 2023, RE2020 applies “to all extensions of individual houses, as soon as the extension is subject to a building permit or prior declaration, whatever its surface and the surface of the existing building”.

These extensions, depending on their size, may nevertheless be subject to alternative requirements and certain exemptions, under the conditions defined by the decree of August 4, 2021 and formalized in the following table, extracted from the application sheet provided by the administration and available on the website of the Ministry of Ecological Transition. The situation is different depending on whether the extension is less than 50 square meters, whether it is between 50 and 80 square meters, or whether it is greater than this surface.

As a reminder, this decree sets the requirements of means (or by elements) that buildings or parts of buildings for residential use, offices, or primary or secondary education and located in metropolitan France must respect.

It specifies how to set the following five result (or overall) requirements: optimization of the energy design of the building independently of the energy systems implemented; limitation of primary energy consumption, limitation of the impact on climate change associated with this consumption; limiting the impact of building components on climate change; the limitation of situations of discomfort in the building during the summer period.

The order also sets the method for calculating the energy and environmental performance of these buildings.