Innovations Durables / Appropriate Sustainabilities: Une autre architecture française / New Ways in French Architecture

Whilst France's contemporary architecture is highly regarded throughout the world, her architects have hardly been leading protagonists in the debate on ecological building. The developments featured in this book, however, should serve to correct this impression. Between 1999- 2002 Electricité de France (EDF) initiated an ambitious research programme to bring together first-class architects and innovative technologies involving renewable energy, strategies to reduce energy consumption, newly developed software programs to support ecologically oriented architectural design etc. The goal was to create sustainable and aesthetically pleasing architecture. This book documents the submissions from both established and younger architects. Amongst those included are Jacques Ferrier, Christian Hauvette, Marc Mimram and François Roche.