Our neext European Talk initiative kicked off its yearly tour in La Défense, Paris’ business district under the overall topic of "Urban Retrofit & the Healthy City"

Our first day on the 25^th of March started with a tour at BNP Paribas' Metal 57 and an inspiring keynote speech by Pierre Semeria Soucail, Managing Director - Head of Asset Finance EMEA at BNP Paribas Real Estate about the topic of ‘Finance the Change: Investing for a Resilient Future in a World of Challenges.’ He discussed various aspects of investing sustainably, the direction of the real estate industry, and the challenges as well as opportunities that innovations and demands for sustainability bring to construction and investing into it.

In the following panel discussion, featuring Francesco Marchi from Sciences Po, Pascal Eveillard from Saint-Gobain, Charlie Lemmer as a Healthy Buildings Expert, Dr. Haris Piplas from Drees & Sommer and Dr. Raquel Jaureguízar from IBA27, the focus was placed on the topic of ‘Pulse Check – How Healthy are European Cities?’. The panelists provided approaches to improving the overall quality of life through appropriate construction measures in the future. They underlined once again the need of a readiness for dialogue at all levels, that efforts regarding the overall health of a city need not only be short-term, and that we do not necessarily need to build new, but rather adapt and renew existing infrastructure, instead.

The evening concluded with a networking session, providing an opportunity for networking and exchange between the different participants.

On the 26^th of March, our day began with a warm welcome from Pascal Eveillard at the Saint-Gobain Tower. After the ‘Expert Insights format’, where Pascal Eveillard and Thomas Van Rompaey from AXA Investment Managers shared their insights on sustainable construction and embodied carbon, a key finding of the format was we concluded our first stop on the delegation tour with a tour of the Saint-Gobain Tower.

The next part of the agenda was a guided tour through the La Défense business district. During the tour, the participants were not only introduced to the modern district but were also shown best practice examples of the future orientation of the City of Paris.

The next stop was the headquarters of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, where, Clément Jeannin, Group Director of Sustainability, gave an overview of URW's projects and gave insights on the achievements Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has made in the field of sustainability. Following the first impulse, Mourad Akl, Managing Director, presented the upcoming Triangle project in Paris. To accelerate the city's low-carbon transition, the Triangle will use materials with low emissions and meet top environmental certifications. This initiative kickstarts an ecological transformation, freeing up energy-intensive buildings for eco-renovation or housing conversion.

This was followed by another ‘Expert Insights’ format, in which new and modern office concepts were presented in line with the latest ESG standards. In the exchange between Clément Jeannin, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Solène Poisson, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Michael Moradiellos del Molino, Drees & Sommer Belgium and Mourad Akl, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, it was highlighted that modern offices need to do more than just provide a practical working atmosphere. It must ensure that work, leisure, living, and well-being are equally fostered through sufficient integration with external influences. Office life must become more attractive and healthier through new innovations and approaches.

Our next stop took us from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield back to La Défense and to the Légende Tower. There we were kindly welcomed by Alexandra Podvin, Director, Asset & Technical Management at BauMont Real Estate Capital. She gave insights on the transformation on towers in Paris’ business district, going further into the renovation of the Ariane Tower’s façade structure and the implementations done in the Légende Tower. Shortly afterwards we were part of guided tours through both of the towers.

As next, Pierre Ruffin-Demestre from Schindler France spoke about vertical transport and gave an insight into the challenges and opportunities associated with the reuse of buildings. Schindler is aiming to use the elevator not only as a medium of transport, but also as a tool for inclusion and for a healthy and modern atmosphere in offices and other buildings.

Afterwards, Michael Moradiellos del Molino gave a further impulse on the topic of ‘Circular Economy powered by Cradle to Cradle’ where he explained how Drees & Sommer integrated circular economy specifications for the refurbishment of WTC 1 & 2 towers in Brussels. Their services aimed to promote sustainability, minimize waste, and maximize resource efficiency throughout the renovation process.

The evening concluded with a panel discussion on "Does the Building of the Future Already Exist?" with Silke Nadoni from LPA-CGR, Rodolphe Lebas from Cushman & Wakefield, Veronica Gallo-Alvarez of abrdn, Mathew Wiggett from Valode & Pistre and Vasileos Latinos from ICLEI Europe. In the discussion, the importance of integrating social housing in Paris, emphasizing that change will require investments and a willingness to utilize both innovative and traditional solutions in future building projects - a sort of 'back to the roots' approach were highlighted. However, overarching dialogue at all levels is crucial, with outcomes needing to be implemented promptly and with high quality. The event concluded with an outlook and a dinner on the 40^th floor.

Our key findings:

In anticipation of the following event, the neext European Talk will continue its journey in Tallinn. The city in the heart of the Baltics is known for its unique architecture and harbour, which not only plays a central role in the region's trade and tourism but is also a landmark and symbol of Tallinn's connection to the world. We look forward to continuing the inspiring atmosphere and exciting discussions in this unique venue on the 7^th and 8^th of May 2024.