ProspeKtive

Reversibility and mixed-use are two concepts that are causing a stir among real estate professionals and, more broadly, all those involved in the creation of new territories. Tomorrow's city will ideally be made up of buildings whose uses will be open-ended and mixed. Once accepted, this desirable future must be confronted with the pragmatism that always prevails in real estate matters. 

« The smart building concept involves the integration of active and passive energy management solutions, aimed at optimising energy consumption and promoting the comfort and safety of building users while complying with current regulations. (DRIEE). It's a concept that encompasses several dimensions, all aimed at improving occupant satisfaction and performance.

However, for these systems to be able to function effectively and add value, interoperability is essential. It enables heterogeneous systems to work together, avoiding technological and information silos. This is what we call harmony, in its original sense of harmózô, meaning to join, to make coincide, to adapt, to fit together.

In the first half of 2024, two symposiums on Third-Places took place in quick succession. The first was held at Grenoble Alpes University on March 14, 2024. It addressed the question: "Productive third places, revealing a new local economic model?". The second took place at Sciences Po Rennes from April 02 to 04, 2024. It focused on "Third places and solidarity policies: opportunities and weaknesses of new spaces for social action". Synthesizing the two, the result is that we are in the presence of "new spaces for social action (...) revealing a new local economic model". Where there is "novelty", the possible translation is that of "rupture", "profound change" or "bifurcation" relative to a previous state. The concept of "transition" towards another societal model on a territorial scale therefore seems to be the obvious one. But is it really appropriate to speak of "transitional third places" (TLT)?

Let's be clear: the often-used term "real estate industry" has never been more irrelevant. Despite technological advances, many projects are still being developed in the traditional way, using unsuitable or even obsolete tools. In the light of growing economic and environmental demands, off-site construction could provide our industry with a lever for industrialization and modernization. A way to build faster, better and cheaper. Provided we encourage innovation and a genuine culture of change.

In recent years, teleworking has grown by leaps and bounds, fuelled by the rise of technology and increasing flexibility in the world of work. The Covid-19 pandemic and confinement restrictions have amplified this trend. By reducing commuting distances, teleworking contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions, and can therefore serve as a lever for regulating mobility. However, it can have secondary effects on commuting and residential travel, known as "rebound effects" (Hostettler Macias, Ravalet, & Rérat, 2022).

Since the first confinement, the real estate world has been wondering about the so-called new places where French households live and work. Local councillors and developers alike saw an opportunity to rebalance the French territory, historically centralized around Paris. Yet initial post-covid trends do not point to a new world. What if the pandemic was merely a revelation rather than a revolution in the major territorial dynamics of the residential and office markets? Is telecommuting a real game-changer for France?