"This is a first in France for an apartment building", proudly launches Damien Cordier, the architect of the Heart Deco residence in Saint-Louis (Haut-Rhin).
Inaugurated in October, this construction of 54 housing units relies on an innovative process.
“Our building has a brick facade capable of absorbing the equivalent of CO2 emissions from 20 cars each year,” explains Damien Cordier.
A feat made possible thanks to the principle of photocatalysis.
"The light causes the brick to react, which then oxidizes the polluting substances to transform it into a neutral compound", specifies the architect.
"It's as if we had planted 50 trees all at once"
It is to an Italian cement manufacturer that we owe the creation of this binder integrated into the laying of brick during the construction of the building.
"Having installed a building like this in the heart of Saint-Louis is as if we had planted 50 trees all at once," says Cédric Simonin, CEO of Trianon Résidences.
A virtuous process that did not increase the bill: "The construction cost of the building was 6.5 million euros and the price of the depolluting facade only represented 100,000 euros", confides the promoter .
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A technology that is also beneficial for residents of Heart Deco: “This depolluting brick also destroys dust mites, pollen and bacteria that are sources of viruses or allergies,” promises Cédric Simonin.
An ecological building which corresponds to the wish of the town hall of Saint-Louis to fight against automobile pollution.