Eiffage Immobilier delivers Campus Du Parc: an emblematic project for higher education and urban regeneration in Nanterre

An architectural renaissance: building the city over the city

Empty since 2004, the former school of architecture in Nanterre, an iconic building designed by architects Jacques Kalisz and Roger Salem in the 70s, is starting a new chapter in its history. This conversion project - designed with the architecture firm IT’S - is fully in line with urban recycling logic, without building on undeveloped ground. 
Building on the original idea of the building in the 70s - the school as a natural extension of the surrounding park - the team made this one of the project's guiding principles. Renovation work was conceived as an architectural gradient: from preserving the Kalisz building's original appearance to the contemporary expression of three new sets, including the covering of the Agora with a canopy bathed in natural light.
Eiffage Immobilier rose to the challenge of renovating this complex site while preserving most of the existing buildings. In particular, the project required overcoming the constraints of reusing a corroded metal structure, as well as bringing a structure - not initially designed for these requirements - into compliance with fire and thermal standards, while adapting it to new uses and preserving the architectural spirit.

• 80% of the original building’s footprint is preserved
• 60% of the metal structure renovated and brought into compliance with standards

The entire building was built on the renovated foundations of the historic building. Most of the existing steel structures have been reused, as have poles, metal beams, and some concrete floors. The lightness of the off-site wood structures made it possible to maximise their conservation, limiting heavy work on the existing structures.

The new buildings are in line with the principles of flexibility that characterised Jacques Kalisz’s work: free-standing trays that can be configured over time as educational uses evolve, front passageways fostering continuity between the inside and outside, and a vertical weave of bamboo sunshades that thermally protects the building and better diffuses light in the classrooms. The hybrid wood-concrete structures of the new buildings also follow this logic, integrating today’s environmental imperatives.

This approach combines respect for architectural heritage and contemporary requirements, while significantly reducing the project’s carbon footprint.

A programme developed for growing higher education needs

Designed from the outset with its end user, De Vinci Higher Education, Campus du Parc meets the needs of a rapidly developing academic hub.

Designed as a genuine educational tool, and conceived as a living and evolving organisation, Campus du Parc embodies an open and scalable school 4.0 in the heart of Nanterre-La Défense. It can accommodate up to 4,800 students and employees at any one time and offers:

• 1 building renovated to R+4 level, including offices
• 3 new buildings renovated to R+5 level, including classrooms
• A common base on the ground floor + 1 floor including the Agora, a lecture hall, a cafeteria, classrooms, offices, etc.
• 2 basements comprising a sports complex (dojo, gym, dance studio), community spaces, and technical rooms

This campus is part of the dynamic Nanterre-La Défense ecosystem and sustainably supports the growth in higher education in this strategic region.

A bespoke project, delivered turnkey

Eiffage Immobilier played a coordinating role by fully designing and running the project. It partnered with the architecture firm IT’S and entrusted technical project management to the Artelia Group and landscaping to Base.

Developed as a VEFA (sale before completion), the operator helped co-design the campus from 2018 in order to meet educational requirements. As a single point of contact, Eiffage Immobilier has borne all financial, technical, and administrative risks, guaranteeing a project delivered in compliance with costs, deadlines, and quality requirements.

The campus will also feature a giant pencil sculpture by artist Julien Gudéa, symbolising the educational vocation of the site. This sculpture is part of the '1 building, 1 work of art' programme, supported by Eiffage Immobilier, aimed at integrating artistic creation into real estate projects.

A showcase of environmental innovation and sustainable construction

The project includes various energy performance and carbon footprint reduction schemes: 
• Mixed materials: use of timber frame walls, metal beam posts, and low carbon concrete in new buildings 
• Bioclimatic design: an ETFE canopy covering the central Agora, ensuring dynamic solar management, combined with natural ventilation solutions and bamboo sunshades, limits the use of air conditioning
• Biosolar roof: 750 m2 of solar panels contributing to an annual production of 170 MWh, representing 7% of the campus’s total electricity consumption
• Off-site construction: with 100% of stairs being prefabricated, over 1.2 km of timber passageways - i.e. nearly 2,500 m2 -, 60 m3 of sunshades and 450 m2 of timber joists for classrooms. The new facades and walls are also timber-frame. The passageways and facades were developed using a 2D logic, while the joists were produced based on a 1D approach. 
The use of off-site construction reduced the worksite’s carbon footprint, noise, and logistics flows, while speeding up the completion schedule and improving worker safety. This approach was also a driver for industrial innovation: Eiffage Construction Savare, in charge of all off-site timber components at Campus du Parc, acquired a glulam cutting machine capable of producing parts up to a length of 16.5 metres, among the most efficient in Europe in this category. 
The project aims for the most demanding environmental certifications: E+C-, BBCA Rénovation and Bâtiment Durable Francilien.

With Campus du Parc, De Vinci Higher Education is strengthening its position among the leading private higher education stakeholders in France. By establishing itself in the heart of the strategic area of Nanterre-La Défense, its schools (EMLV, ESILV, IIM) have a campus that matches their growth dynamics and teaching goals.