Clean cut: Véolia, HQ, Lyon, France

This campus-style training centre for the environmental group Véolia has recently opened in Lyon, France. The complex is designed by Arte Charpentier Architectes around a garden that it conceives as an Agora. The intention is to create a convivial atmosphere for all who use the building to enjoy. The Agora is open to the south so providing shelter from the north wind. Facilities include an auditorium for 150 people, reception and recreation areas, a sports hall, workshops, classrooms and offices. Carparking is kept well away from the training buildings. The building has strong environmental credentials too. Its energy consumption is below 60 kWhEP / m² year, it has green roofs, PV cells, and larch wood sliding sunshades. In this regard, the entire building becomes something of an emblem for the environmental credentials of a company whose business is about the environment.