Construction of the new EURAPHARMA head office for the CFAO group in Val-de-Reuil (27)

As part of its business development activities, Eurapharma, a company of the CFAO Group specialized in the distribution and pharmaceutical services sector, has a project to build the headquarters and logistics center for its companies Continental Pharmaceutique and EPDIS. This project, entitled ‘PAMPLEMOUSSE,’ consists of three program elements:

1. A logistics warehouse of 41,140 square meters.
2. An office building of 4,544 square meters.
3. Parking spaces required for the operation of the activities.

The chosen site for the construction of this new headquarters is located in the municipality of Val-de-Reuil, on the outskirts of the Western ZAC « Les Portes. » It is located on a hillside on agricultural land along the Cavitation road. The site is located in an area designated for industrial activities (UZ), characterized by large-sized buildings, including the DGA Techniques hydrodynamiques center, which faces it and has a facade length of over 600 meters.

 

 

 

Our concept to meet the demands of CFAO

The project proposes three main development axes:

1. Integration into the landscape: Our objective is to harmonize the project as closely as possible with the landscape and the plot. Despite significant topographical constraints, we have minimized earth movements through a balance between excavation and embankment. As a result, the landscaping project is designed in terraces that follow the natural movements of the land, thus optimizing the project’s various functions while controlling costs.
2. Distinctive architecture, the pedestrian gallery: Our architectural concept proposes a pedestrian gallery that transforms into an interior street. It provides clear organization and contributes to a strong architectural identity. The interior street, as a meeting place, promotes exchanges and synergies between different stakeholders, encourages an entrepreneurial spirit, and strengthens team cohesion.
3. Safety, comfort, and flexibility at the heart of the architectural project: The project stands out for its safety, comfort, and flexibility. Traffic flows have been studied to avoid conflicts between different users. Maneuvering spaces are spacious to allow for optimal fluidity and efficiency. The workspaces are bathed in natural light, flexible, and offer pleasant views of the landscape, ensuring the occupants’ comfort and improving the building’s energy performance.

 

 

Implementation of the pharmaceutical logistics platform: The EPDIS + CP logistics platform has a footprint approximately equivalent to that of a folded Eiffel Tower on the ground: 330m x 120m. The layout of the « logistics platform » building addresses several issues: 1.Its location, as far north as possible, allows for maximum space to be freed up at the southeast corner to organize entrances and create a retention basin at the lowest point of the site. 2.The pharmaceutical warehouse is also positioned as far east as possible, while organizing truck courtyards on both sides of its considerable length, with a depth of 35m, which corresponds to an optimal length for truck maneuvers. This layout allows for a significant setback distance from the forest to the west of the site and the Cavitation road to the east, in order to create slopes with a reasonable incline and avoid the construction of large retaining walls. Objective: Balance between excavation and embankment and user safety The analysis of the terrain reveals a complex topography with a level difference of over 21 meters between the southeast and northwest corners. Aware of their ecological and economic impact and with a focus on optimization, our objective is to minimize earthworks as much as possible. A preliminary study of the ground movements has determined a balance between embankments and excavations at an elevation of approximately NGF 5253 meters for the platform. The optimal platform level is defined as being 9 meters above the Cavitation Street, requiring nearly 250 linear meters of roadway for heavy vehicles to gradually reach this elevation with a gentle slope (3~3.5%) from the entrance. In this regard, trucks quickly access the site from the southeast corner and pass through a dedicated waiting area before reaching the warehouse. The elevated positioning of the light vehicle parking zone has been chosen to avoid any intersection between pedestrians and motorized vehicles. The creation of a pedestrian bridge at the +14 level, thus avoiding the flow of heavy vehicles located at +9 meters (4.5 meters above the regulatory HL for fire-fighting vehicles), will allow safe access to the office building and warehouses. Besides serving as a reception area and shelter for two-wheelers, this bridge provides a covered walkway with a view of the landscape, giving the project a strong identity and an optimal level of comfort and safety. This stratified organization of spaces (waiting area for heavy vehicles, roadway for light vehicles, parking for light vehicles, and then warehouse) from the entrance corner to the warehouse enables a visually seamless transition and successful integration of the entire building within its context.

 

Office Building Design: Functional Organization of Offices, Service Areas, and the Inner Street

The connecting bridge starts at the parking level, at an elevation of +14 meters, and crosses over the truck lane as well as the dock areas at +9 meters. It is at this elevation that we have positioned the R+1 level, dedicated to offices. This level naturally divides into three parts: the EP DIS and CP office spaces are located facing their respective logistics areas, while the shared spaces (accounting, boardroom, etc.) are situated in the center.
The office spaces follow a logic of organization between serviced areas and servicing areas. Whether individual offices or open spaces, they are located on the periphery to benefit from natural light and ventilation. In the center, there are service areas such as restrooms, reprography room, small meeting rooms, and storage spaces. It is also important to highlight the strategic placement of executive offices and the boardroom, positioned at the corners and center of the project to provide views of the logistics areas and the surrounding landscape.

On the ground floor, service areas are arranged between the different functions and the inner street. The cafeteria and the multipurpose room are placed side by side, separated by a large movable partition for maximum flexibility. The cafeteria has an outdoor terrace facing south for the comfort of users. At the northern end, offering a view of the landscape, is the gymnasium.

The inner street is not only a true living space but also a distribution space. It is a place for mixing, exchanging, and meeting for all users of the site, thus contributing to team cohesion and fostering a company culture for the CFAO group.

 

 

 

Facade Treatment: Architectural Expression of the Project

The facade treatment aims to express the architectural concept of the project. It consists of two elements of different scales and natures that coexist in symbiosis to constitute the Pamplemousse EURAPHARMA project.
The project is primarily a logistics platform, on a monumental scale: the dimensions of the main storage volume exceed 300 meters in total length, over 120 meters in width, with a height ranging from 14 meters at the parapet. This volume is on the scale of heavy goods vehicles and its facades are supplied by four truck courtyards located to the East and West of the project.
he materials used for the warehouse are industrial in nature, with a double-skin steel cladding. The chosen colors resemble wood tones, allowing for harmonious integration into the landscape. We distinguish two shades, a light one and a darker one, to interrupt the height of the building and create continuity from the plot to the warehouse volume.
In the foreground of this main volume, we have arranged the program elements, including the walkway, offices, and social areas. This second ensemble dedicated to the site users (EURAPHARMA employees and visitors) is designed on a human scale, expressed both in its architecture and in the choice of facade cladding.
On the façade, we wanted to express the contrast between functions, scales and users (machines vs. humans). As a result, the footbridge and offices are clad in wood cladding, a living, warm material with a unique texture. This helps to create a friendly working atmosphere and to integrate the project into its agricultural and forestry context.
In the detailing, we are using other materials that have less impact on the perception of the facades, such as beige stained concrete for the base of the office section, gabions around the light commercial vehicle parking spaces and the gardens on the ground floor of the offices, natural grey concrete for the base of the warehouse and the lower part of the docks, and galvanised steel for the guardrails of the lorry yards and the crinoline ladders.

 

 

To sum up, the project to build CFAO’s head office in Val-de-Reuil is a response to the constraints of the site and the large dimensions of the new buildings. Our concept features a footbridge that guides users safely from the car parks to a vast internal street. This creates a living and working area between the offices/social premises and the logistics building, while ensuring harmonious integration into the surrounding landscape.