Wednesday round-up #1

Image coming soon

Symbio2 tests its microalgae façade in Saint-Nazaire.

Last July, the architecture practice X-TU and the GEPEA laboratory in Nantes unveiled their first prototype biological solar collectors. As a reminder, besides its thermal performance, this curtain wall has the distinctive feature of producing microalgae. Actuarchi spoke to Olivier Scheffer, head of research at X-TU, to find out more about the panels. The team, now working under the name Symbio2, is putting its invention to a full-scale test. A set of panels will be installed on the Gavy university campus in Saint-Nazaire over the coming months, with the help of the company Seche Environnement. If the results are conclusive, the panels will be used for the façade of an incineration plant.

Icade expands its healthcare portfolio.

Icade's healthcare subsidiary has added eight new sites to its portfolio. The first group comprises the Pôle Santé Sud in Le Mans (72), the Clinique François Chénieux in Limoges (87), the Centre Clinical in Angoulême (16) and the Centre Médico-Chirurgical des Cèdres in Brive (19). The whole group will be operated by VEDICI, which brings together a consortium of investors, with Icade contributing €175 million. The second group comprises the Polyclinique Jean Vilar in Bruges (33), the Polyclinique les Fleurs in Ollioules (83), the Clinique Villette in Dunkirk (59) and the Clinique de Flandre in Coudekerque-Branche (59), acquired from Médi-Partenaires, together with the imaging centre (CIMROR) adjoining the Pôle Santé République in Clermont-Ferrand (63), which Icade Santé already owns. This second acquisition amounts to €106 million.