The Olympic Village can maintain a temperature at least 6 degrees Celsius cooler inside than outside during the summer without the need for air conditioning, thanks to insulated materials and a cooling underground water system.
The athlete village for the Paris 2024 Olympics welcomed its first athletes on July 18, AFP reported. The village features numerous innovations aimed at becoming a model for low-carbon construction. Previously, facing concerns about the massive emissions from construction, flights, and catering services associated with the Olympics, the organizers decided to make the village as environmentally friendly as possible.
The Olympic Village in Saint-Denis, the suburbs of Paris, where athletes will reside. (Photo: AFP/Emmanuel Dunand).
The 2,800 apartments in the village will generate only about half the carbon emissions compared to equivalent apartments built using conventional methods, considering energy-saving capabilities, according to Solideo, the infrastructure management agency for the Paris Olympics. After being used by Olympic and Paralympic athletes from July 26 to September 8, these apartments will be converted into housing, with at least one-third designated as social housing.
Without the need for air conditioning, the Olympic Village maintains an internal temperature at least 6 degrees Celsius lower than the outside temperature during summer. Besides high-performance insulation and sun shading, the secret lies in a subterranean water system connected to a local geothermal energy plant, which draws cool water from underground in summer and heat from deep within the earth in winter. This renewable energy system significantly reduces the operational costs and carbon emissions of the village.
Real estate companies had to agree to build apartments with a 30% reduction in emissions per square meter compared to conventional apartments, according to Georgina Grenon, head of sustainable development at Paris 2024. “This has introduced new construction techniques,” she said.
In many cases, construction teams replaced high-carbon concrete with wood. Low-carbon concrete is also widely used throughout the village. Moreover, the base material in the gardens uses recycled concrete. “We chose materials not just for their technical, economic, or architectural characteristics but because of their carbon emissions,” said project director Julie Bosch at Vinci Immobilier, the real estate group involved in building the Olympic Village.
The village features large gardens that make up 40% of the total area, which will include 9,000 trees and shrubs once fully planted after the Olympics. “This is a very high ratio, and our water recycling system will help create relaxation and cooling areas,” shared Charles Richard-Molard, deputy director responsible for public spaces at Solideo.
The village has its own water treatment center, which collects and purifies wastewater for use in the gardens. An experimental building named “Cycle Building” will use treated rainwater for toilets. The toilets are also designed to separate urine from feces, which can then be converted into fertilizer.
Some sidewalks are made from recycled seafood shells, absorbing more heat than traditional paving stones. Meanwhile, many walkways incorporate byproducts from the paper or resin production industries instead of using petroleum-based asphalt.
Approximately 300,000 household items supplied to the Olympic Village are prepared for “second life.” “We only contract with suppliers if they can prove their ability to recycle or reuse,” said Julia Watson, deputy director responsible for constructing the village at Solideo.
In the apartments, bed frames are made from reinforced cardboard, and mattresses are made from recycled fishing nets. Most of the street furniture is crafted from recycled wood, while some streetlights are made from recycled steel pipes.
