01 / 03

Genzyme

Head office, laboratories, production unit.

After the gradual closure of its historic site on the Sanofi Pasteur campus in Marcy L’Etoile (69), the American biotechnology company Genzyme chose to relocate to Lyon - Gerland to produce its complex medicines there.

The building houses a highly versatile, high-tech bioproduction unit, laboratories, and offices. This complex is at the forefront of innovation.

Beyond the functional response to the company’s needs, the project marks the southern entrance to the city of Lyon with a landmark design building. Curve and counter-curve, beyond the elegance they provide, give the project immediate legibility by unifying the diversity of the buildings they enclose.

Thus, the different units conceal their specificities behind a bioclimatic and acoustic glass veil. This veil becomes a sun-shading mesh as it moves away from the work areas, which benefit from direct natural lighting.

Client : Genzyme Polyclonals

Location : Lyon, France

Size : 22 000 m²

Status : Delivery

Date : 2010

Key points

Double skin.
City entrance.
Production units, laboratories and offices.
Modularity.

Environmental perfomances

Photovoltaic pannel.
LEED Silver.

Download the project sheet

As the first new French project to receive the LEED SILVER certification, it is part of a comprehensive environmental approach—a multidisciplinary effort highlighting our expertise in building energy engineering and eco-design.

Environmental performance

A study on the environmental and health impacts of construction materials was carried out throughout the project’s design phase. Through life cycle analyses and safety datasheets, the selection of materials that are safe for both humans and the environment was made possible.

Similarly, deconstruction and recyclability, as well as maintenance and upkeep, were major selection criteria. The thermal strategy is based on a highly efficient envelope composed of a double glass skin, acting as an active hygrothermal regulator in both summer and winter, inside the building.

An atrium distributes natural light throughout the offices, allowing savings from reduced artificial lighting. Renewable energy production via photovoltaic panels (2,500 m² covering the entire available roof space) completes the system.

During the design phase, the building underwent dynamic thermal simulation using the TRNSYS software, enabling energy assessments of complex architectural processes. The building is highly water-efficient, and user comfort (acoustic, visual, hygrothermal) is maximized.

The offices are organized around an atrium, which brings in natural light and fosters interaction between the different floors.

Zoom on design

The space planning mission applied to the Genzyme project involved designing the interior layout of work and waiting areas in harmony with the building’s overall architectural language.

The arrangement of enclosed offices, as well as open spaces, takes into account the diversity of working styles, while remaining consistent with a coherent aesthetic defined by a selection of contemporary, ergonomic, and elegant furniture.