Town Hall of Echirolles

In September 2006, the new ecological and sustainable Town Hall of the town of Echirolles (in the department of Isère) was unveiled: two floors, an 11-metre high atrium with its indoor street and garden … This represented a wager in terms of technical expertise to comply with the High Environmental Quality standard. Mermet, which manufactures technical and decorative solar protection fabrics, has been contributing to passive temperature reduction for a number of years. The Echirolles project, which was elaborated by the CSTB to test HQE® certification, gave Mermet the opportunity to prove that its fabrics comply with ecological and sustainable development requirements.
The key principle in a HQE® approach is the obligation to control temperatures as, since the summer of 2003, the ever-increasing presence of air-conditioning has had and continues to have far-reaching consequences on the environment. The 11-metre wide and 57-metre long glass roof of the Town Hall of Echirolles clearly highlights the essential role played by the Mermet Company’s solar protection fabrics.

An ecological and sustainable project

The solar protection fabrics, which offer durability and are easy to clean and maintain, must not only reflect heat but also provide good natural light. The Satiné 5500 blind fabric fully complies with these requirements in particular thanks to a proven controlled incoming light transmission and solar reflection. In addition, the diagonal weave allows for perfect glare control together with good visual comfort at any hour of the day.

The Mermet solar blinds, which open out according to the light and temperature in the hall, take full advantage of the heat supply in the winter and offer protection in the summer.

Mermet®, the HQE® solution

In this particular project they use indoors stemmed from an original combination between solar protection and the air circulation system called "Canadian well". This system, which uses geothermics in a passive way by collecting air from the basement which is at a constant temperature (between 17°C and 19°C), allows for the building to be cooled down in the summer and heated in the winter due to natural ventilation : the freshness is kept at the bottom of the atrium while the heat is evacuated through the top. The system as a whole offers a transition from an outdoor air temperature at 30°C to 22°C inside the building.

In addition to its maximum solar qualities, the Satiné 5500 fabric was recommended by the architects of the project (Arcane Architectes) for its aesthetic, transparent, resistant and stability qualities. The composition of the fabric which is made from coated fibreglass yarns provide it with an excellent mechanical resistance together with perfect dimensional stability. These last points are moreover indispensable as the blinds have been installed on an inverted winding mechanism with two motors which are opposite one another for a perfect adjustment and tension of the blind.

© : Arcane Architecte - Alpes Baches Stores - M. Couderette - Mermet S.A.S.