Energy efficiency, sustainable materials, recycling and reuse, HEQ standards and other international labels have become key concepts in the building sector. Wojo, the leading French network of coworking spaces, is continuing its development by integrating ambitious certifications into the choice of its new sites and partners. Guillaume de Branche, Design & Build Director, and Magali Champigneulle, Design Manager at Wojo, explain.
HEQ at the heart of the Wojo network’s development
With a dozen “flagships” sites combining coworking spaces, private offices and meeting rooms, and more than 300 Spots, open and lively workspaces set up in partners’ homes, Wojo offers the largest network of workspaces in France. This development continues with the desire to integrate environmental criteria into the choice of new sites. “All new buildings operated by Wojo have at least one environmental certification, whether they are new or delivered after a major restructuring, such as our site in Lille,” explains Guillaume de Branche.
This is part of our CSR policy to address the sustainability issues in our sector,” adds Magali Champigneulle. We want to offer responsible living spaces, which also means responsible purchasing. This commitment affects all divisions, including construction, and concerns issues as varied as employee well-being, energy consumption, thermal performance, the use of recyclable materials, etc. »
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HEQ & others : high-level environmental certifications for new Wojo sites
The main French and international environmental labels can be found on the new sites where Wojo has set up shop.
BREEAM® level Very Good in Lille and Barcelona, Excellent on the future Wojo Paris Gaîté site in Montparnasse, which adds the NF HEQ™ Bâtiments Tertiaires neuf standard at the Exceptional level to its roster. The Wojo Paris BnF site has been certified BREEAM® Excellent, Well v2 Gold, BBC (Effinergie renovation) and the HEQ “Sustainable Building 2016” certification. Wojo Poblenou in Barcelona has also been awarded LEEDTM Gold certification (core and shell). Photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of the building provide the equivalent of the energy used in the common areas.
CSR concerns integrated into site development
HEQ, BREEAM®, LEEDTM… While the new buildings are all certified, all Wojo sites are also equipped with partitions supplied by Clestra Hauserman, made of 20 to 30% recycled materials. These partitions are removable, do not require the use of glue or plaster that is difficult to recycle, and follow the evolution of the spaces according to the needs of Wojo’s clients. Thus, almost 100% of the components are reused, which extends their life span to several decades.
The social aspect also counts. At the Wojo Lille site, a company involved in professional reintegration made the bins from recycled wood. “We continue to make progress on these aspects,” says Guillaume de Branche.
Focus on sustainable initiatives in the choice of furniture
A partnership with Cider for responsible furniture
Wojo has chosen to work with Cider for the furnishing of its private offices. This partner produces in Italy, with a view to quality and limiting the carbon footprint of its products. Cider uses innovations as well as products and materials that are certified “Cradle to Cradle”. This approach defines and develops the notion of upcyclable products, which maintain the quality of raw materials throughout the product’s life cycle. It can be recovered, disassembled and fully reused.
The tops are powder-coated, which avoids the use of glue and the resulting indoor pollution, and the fabrics of the seats are Oeko-tex or cradle-to-cradle certified. All Cider products are certified as being of sustainable origin, and the company offers support for the end of life of the furniture (recycling or recovery) in order to optimise its life cycle.
Read also: QWL, flex office, CSR: office furniture facing the new challenges of the company
And local initiatives integrated into the design of the sites
In addition to the furniture common to all Wojo spaces, the specifications of the designers commissioned to customise the spaces include CSR criteria.
“At Wojo Paris 13 BnF, for example, users have table tops made of recycled porcelain or coffee grounds, giant poufs made from hot-air balloon cloths, etc. As soon as possible, we direct our purchases towards responsible and sustainable materials and initiatives,” explains Magali Champigneulle. At the future Montparnasse site, “we will source the furniture for the common areas and the floor coverings according to this demand. »
The final word
Each Wojo site immerses users in a surprising, qualitative and warm experience. But behind the design, there is the will to respond to the challenges and expectations of our time by reinforcing its responsible approach. For our clients, choosing to set up their offices in one of the new Wojo sites allows them to enhance the environmental quality of their premises and furniture, at a time when the responsible commitment of brands is being scrutinised more than ever.
