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A sustainable post-Olympics legacy

Pioneering reversible design in Paris


GBA: Places | Country: France

The legacy of the 2024 Olympic Games is about more than just sporting inspiration. In fact, the residents of the Paris suburb of Île-Saint-Denis are now enjoying an eco-friendly community hub formerly used as a temporary residence for athletes during the summer games. With its pioneering reversible design, this project was France’s first to operate under a dual use building permit. The feat was made possible through Arcadis’ close collaboration with our architecture and development partners. Together, we co-developed adaptable structural solutions, including elevators, technical ducts, and even cable trays which were strategically designed to serve both athletes and, later, the local community.

To reduce the site's carbon footprint, we selected low-carbon materials, including decarbonized concrete and wood. Plus, using adaptable materials allowed the facilities to be transformed more easily once the athletes departed. Residents can now enjoy a mix of housing, a student residence, shops, a nautical base, and an arts center, all within a sustainably designed community hub. This ‘eco-district’ will welcome its first permanent residents in mid-2025, embodying a lasting achievement in sustainable, community-centered urban planning.

We were able to identify innovative ways to reduce the project's carbon footprint and implement reversible design, bringing in expertise from teams across Arcadis.

   Mohammed Bounab, Project Manager