BLACK: the largest low-carbon building in France in charred Accoya

At Clichy-la-Garenne, on the edge of La Défense, the BLACK project stands out as one of the largest low-carbon buildings in France. This 47,000 m² urban campus, developed by Redman and designed by the agency ECDM (Emmanuel Combarel Dominique Marrec Architectes), offers an environmentally responsible “workplace of tomorrow”, in dialogue with the neighbouring Parc des Impressionnistes. Its spectacular facade displays 6,740 m² of Accoya cladding charred using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique, produced by Les Brûleurs de Bois, with the wood distributed by Henry Timber and fixed with the grad concealed rail system. By replacing the aluminium originally planned with this charred wood, the project saved 1,000 tonnes of CO2, out of a total of 3,000 tonnes avoided through low-carbon materials. Completed in 2023, this understated black building marries an ancestral tradition with biophilic design and ambitious environmental performance.