BASF Presents European Construction Project BuildTog at MIPIM in Cannes

BASF will present the European research and construction project BuildTog (Building Together, www.buildtog.eu) at the MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier) event in Cannes, France. Aim of the project is to create a new generation of collective residential homes in several European countries combining top energy performance with cost-efficient construction and high-quality architecture. MIPIM visitors are invited to attend “The Innovation Forum” on Wednesday, March 12, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., at which Henrik Meyer-Hoffmann, market developer at BASF’s European Construction Competence Center, will speak on “Retrofit Strategy and Smart Buildings: Towards High-Performance Buildings.” He will discuss opportunities to join BuildTog.

BuildTog is a collaboration between the European Housing Network EURHONET, the French architect Nicolas Michelin and his architecture firm A/NM/A, as well as the German energy efficiency consultancy LUWOGE consult and BASF, the world’s leading chemical company.

Participation in BuildTog gives current and future partners an opportunity to familiarize themselves with applying the Passive House Standard, which by 2020 will be mandatory for all new buildings in Europe. Moreover, the BuildTog methodology and its implementation via several construction projects offer an excellent opportunity for architects, engineers, and especially for housing companies and investors to implement new construction solutions.

In addition to technical features, BuildTog houses share a common design which was developed by Nicholas Michelin (A/NM/A). Housing companies or real estate developers, in collaboration with local architects and project developers, adapt the design on site to meet specific contextual requirements, such as climate peculiarities or national and regional regulations.

First BuildTog projects put into operation

There are currently seven BuildTog projects underway in Germany, Sweden and France. The project in Darmstadt, Germany, which was launched in August 2012, is scheduled for completion in February 2014. Some of the apartments there have already been sold to their future residents. Another project is being built in Lieusaint, France, and should begin operation in September 2014. The tender for a BuildTog project in France, in the city of Châlons-en-Champagne, should be approved by mid-2014. Two additional projects in Arras, France, one in Örebro, Sweden, and one in Bremen, Germany, are at the development stage. Further partners interested in participating in current and future projects are welcome to join BuildTog.