The Regional Council of Brittany pursues environmental
policies that are geared towards sustainable development.
For the design of the new Lycée Maritime in Saint-Malo,
which was baptized Florence Arthaud as a tribute to
the navigator who disappeared in 2015, the Regional
Council selected the Rennes-based architectural firm
Liard & Tanguy because it proposed an “exemplary
project” that surpassed the Council’s ecological
requirements.
The new secondary school, which had
its first school year in 2015, was designed to be a
positive-energy building with various systems that are
able to produce or conserve energy, for example
photovoltaic
panels.
However, ecodesign does more than just limit energy
consumption. The architect also considered other
environmental
aspects, including indoor air quality.
Patrice
Liard, a partner in the architectural firm, explained
that for “his projects he selects finishing products with
minimum VOC and formaldehyde emissions.” For the
flooring for the maritime school, he turned to rubber. The
final decision was for 5,000 m² of noraplan® sentica
and norament® grano to be installed on the premises
because these products met all the requirements.
Moreover,
they have several eco-labels, including
the Blauer Engel (Blue Angel), which guarantees
low emissions and the absence of plasticizers (e.g.
phthalates).
Patrice Liard also emphasized the easy maintenance
of nora® flooring, which “can be carried out with
just water,
which is more economical but also more
ecological.” In fact, the rubber surface of the flooring,
which does not have any coating allows for it to
be cleaned with nora pads that only require water,
eliminating the need for chemical detergents.
Another advantage of rubber flooring lies in its
permanent elasticity, which makes it possible to install
them double-cut and without welding joints in so-called
E2 areas according to the French UPEC norm. Thus,
the joints remain almost invisible. Its advantage is not
just that it is aesthetic, but that it is also hygienic. In
order to meet the norm for barrier-free access in public
buildings, a tactile guidance system for the visually
impaired and the blind was installed on the floor in
front of each staircase.
Degano installed the flooring. Thanks to their solid
experience
in this field, they were able to lay the
floor in such a perfect manner that it contributes to the
excellence of the school building. In any case, as with all
major projects, such as the maritime school, nora systems
offers its technical
assistance at the start of construction.
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