Category: Le Mag SMC2

In a logic of decarbonation and faced with the inescapable duty to lower our CO2 emissions to save our planet, SMC2 has adopted the motto “No CO2, Low Energy”. As part of this approach, we favour the use of wood. Its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide coupled with its architectural quality and mechanical performance make wood an ally in the creation of aesthetic, high-performance structures with limited environmental impact.

Wood, for ecological and aesthetic structures

During its growth phase, wood synthesises organic matter thanks to light energy, absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen: this is photosynthesis. Thanks to its capacity to store CO2, wood therefore helps to combat global warming.

Wood also has aesthetic qualities. Its species offer a wide range of colours and textures. The assemblies ensure the finesse and elegance of the structures, whose components can be straight or curved. It allows for a great deal of freedom of form and assembly, with no limits on size or geometry. It is an unlimited source of inspiration that allows man to reconnect with nature.

Wooden structures chosen for their technical advantages

Beyond its aesthetic and ecological virtues, the glued laminated wood used by our team has significant technical advantages. From a safety point of view, this wood is resistant to fire and to aggressive atmospheric and chemical environments. It also has seismic qualities. It also provides dimensional stability in the event of temperature variations. Finally, wood offers comfort in the use of sports facilities thanks to its acoustic qualities.

Encouraging the use of wood means encouraging the dry sector. A source of many advantages, this method offers speed of execution: not using water means that there is no drying time between each stage of construction, which saves a lot of time.

The SMC2 difference

Among the many players in the wood construction industry, SMC2 stands out for its ability to offer turnkey solutions: we take care of bringing together all the necessary companies to offer a global solution to our clients.

For all our infrastructures, we take care to select bio-sourced materials with an efficient heating system. We manage external solar gain in both summer and winter to provide natural light and thermal comfort. We attach particular importance to indoor air quality. To this end, we favour the use of raw building materials that do not emit VOCs, which we combine with an efficient ventilation system.

 

SMC2, with its expertise in wood construction, offers a turnkey solution that is quick to implement, with controlled costs and reduced construction site pollution. We thus create varied and environmentally friendly infrastructures with optimised air quality.

On Sunday 22 May, the Z5 in Istres, France, was inaugurated!

An inauguration that made the news

The opening of this sports building composed of 4 padel courts and 5 5-a-side football pitches, 4 of which are covered, caused quite a stir! Zinedine Zidane was obviously present to celebrate the opening of the second Z5 in the South of France.

The SMC2 team travelled to Istres to admire its achievement and the work done to cover these 4 5-a-side football pitches.

The sports media also highlighted this sports structure, in particular Téléfoot, which talked about it in its daily news programme, more precisely at the 5:50 minute mark (the video is in french).

SMC2, expert in sports building roofing

With this project, SMC2 has once again demonstrated its ability to construct sports buildings with a glulam frame and a textile membrane roof.

Textile architecture is recognised and appreciated for its translucency, its freedom of form and its technical performance, particularly its high mechanical resistance and thermal and acoustic quality. It is best known for its use in the construction of large football stadiums.

Day or night, the Z5 offers optimal playing conditions for 5-a-side football fans.

For more information, read our article “SMC2, experts in the construction of sports and leisure building“. For more information, contact our team!

The city of Miramas in the south of France – for whom we had already built an athletics hall – once again called on SMC2 to meet the needs of its tennis club.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DOUBLE TENNIS HALL

In 2021, our team proceeded with the construction of a sports building dedicated to tennis with a surface of 1400m². It consists of two tennis courts with a resin sports floor. The lighting is done with low consumption LEDs. Outside the building there is a half-court for training purposes.

A COVERED TENNIS COURT DESIGNED FOR THE SPORTSMAN AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Our building has been built with a wooden frame and a stretched canvas roof. It is designed to offer thermal and light comfort to sportsmen and women. The translucency of the textile membrane allows the players to benefit from natural light during their match.

As part of our environmental protection policy, we favour the use of wood in our structures. A noble material that stores CO2, it allows us to create sports buildings with a limited environmental impact.

A BUILDING IN THE CONTINUITY OF THE NEARBY ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPE

The Miramas tennis hall has been designed to fit in with the local landscape. We took care to use the same aesthetic codes as the surrounding buildings. In particular, the mineral aspect of the concrete, present on neighbouring structures such as the Stadium and the Lycée des Alpilles, is reflected in a sort of window-dressing on the lower part of the facades.

The textile facades in the upper part could also be personalised in certain places.

Specialised in the structure and roofing of sports buildings, SMC2 has built many indoor and outdoor tennis courts in France and abroad. If you have a need or if you simply want to know more, contact us!

2 days to go before the inauguration of the Z5 in Istres!

The construction of the new Z5 is coming to an end in the city of Istres, in France. After the one in Aix-Les-Milles in France, Zinedine Zidane creates a new sports complex combining 5-a-side football and padel.

From 23 May, the first slots can be booked. In total, 6 padel courts and 5 5-a-side football courts will be available, 4 of which will be indoors under a wooden structure built by the SMC2 team. This inauguration is the result of several months of work and the creation of a sports arena of which we are very proud!

On a surface of more than 3200m², 5-a-side football fans will be able to enjoy the Z5 covered football pitches in all seasons, protected from the sun and bad weather. The structure is made of glued laminated wood and the roofing is made of a textile membrane for optimal luminosity within a pre-sport with a controlled environmental impact.

To find out more about this project, loot at the video (in French) below :

In addition, please see our other covered football pitches. For further information, please contact our team.

For 20 years, SMC2 has been an expert in the construction of sports and leisure structures. Whether it’s a tennis court, playground, courtyard or sports complex, we offer a turnkey solution. To ensure that our buildings provide thermal and light comfort as well as protection against the weather, we provide a stretched canvas roof.

STRETCHED ENVELOPES, FOR LUMINOUS ROOFED STRUCTURES

Opting for a textile roof means choosing creativity and luminosity. Stretched envelopes can be adapted to different uses. Curved surfaces, flat facets, straight edges, screen printing… a wide variety of shapes and colours are possible with textile architecture.

The translucency of these envelopes provides natural light which optimises the quality of life within the building. They allow you to stay connected to the natural environment while exercising your physical or leisure activities.

TEXTILE ROOFING, FOR DURABILITY AND ARCHITECTURAL ELEGANCE

Textile roofing is very contemporary and gives the building a distinctive look. Their thinness, durability and translucency make them particularly attractive in the sports field. Their reputation has developed thanks to the large football stadiums that use stretched fabric to cover their grounds.

However, due to its variety of structural and architectural expressions, textile coverings meet the needs of many sports infrastructures: tennis coverings, padel coverings, gymnasium coverings, etc.

SMC2 COVERED SPORTS BUILDINGS, FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Covered tennis courts, padel halls, covered stands, covered football pitches… SMC2 has completed numerous projects with textile roofing in the sports sector, but also in industry and the service sector. In addition to the advantages mentioned above, we also favour the textile membrane for its eco-responsible side. It allows the creation of volume with a minimum of material and energy while having a low environmental impact during construction.

SMC2 is therefore the trusted partner of local authorities for the covering of their sports and leisure facilities. To learn more about this subject, read our article on the advantages of textile construction. Are you interested? Contact our team.

Tomorrow’s urban planning projects face a growing need for more green space in the city, not only for aesthetic reasons but also to improve the quality of life of city dwellers. Green spaces are no longer reserved for gardens and parks. Green facades are increasingly becoming the solution for the cities of tomorrow to increase the presence of nature in the streets.

 

GREEN FACADE, IN A FEW WORDS

A green facade – also known as a green wall, wall garden, green envelopes – is the greening of a vertical plane of a building with various plantings. The roots are immersed in the soil or in a container and then grow vertically to cover the wall.

GREEN WALL, AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND AESTHETIC SOLUTION

To combat pollution and give city dwellers a bit of fresh air, the greening of facades is an option being considered by more and more communities.

Plants filter fine dust from the air and convert CO2 into oxygen. A green wall therefore helps to purify the air. The inhabitants breathe better and feel better. Indeed, living and working in a green environment is a source of well-being. This is good for the inhabitants of the city, but also for biodiversity. Plants integrated into a green façade provide a new living environment for birds, butterflies and insects.

Green facades dress up the street. This addition of greenery not only allows walls to change colour according to the season, but also to correct any architectural defects, to enrich the buildings and to reconnect the inhabitants with nature.

 

WALL GARDEN, OPTIMISED LIVING COMFORT

Vegetation has so much to offer us! In addition to its beauty and positive environmental impact, it also offers acoustic and thermal benefits.

Planted facades reduce external noise, by decreasing the reverberation of sound. They are also a natural alternative for temperature regulation. Opting for a wall garden would reduce the indoor temperature in summer while keeping the heat in winter.

SMC2 IS COMMITTED TO THE GREEN CITY OF TOMORROW

In an increasingly alarming ecological context, SMC2 is committed to encouraging a reconnection between man and nature. Whether it is a new infrastructure or an existing building, call on our company to green your facades. We use deciduous or evergreen climbing plants that are deployed in a secondary mesh between primary structures. In a logic of augmented buildings, we can also integrate balcony modules and play modules into your green walls.

Do you want to make your cities greener? Are you curious about this SMC2 innovation? Contact us now.

 

Play all year round

SMC2 puts its structure and roofing know-how at the service of recreational activities by creating 4-season play areas for year-round fun. Equipped with transparent facades and a textile membrane cover, the play structures are protected from the sun and bad weather while allowing children (and older children!) to enjoy the outdoor environment. Our work on a covered playground in England is a perfect example of this.

Reconnecting with the environment through play

In addition to a combination of play elements such as slides, rope ladders or climbing walls, our team has created a real architecture of play. We create aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and elevational structured play worlds.

We are driven by the desire to offer a unique playground while being respectful of the environment. SMC2 therefore favours the creation of eco-responsible playgrounds by using noble and durable materials, such as wood. Children and parents can thus reconnect with nature. We also take care to build playgrounds at height: a real alternative to playgrounds that can encroach on green spaces. The elevated structures also make it possible to build children’s playgrounds on small areas of land.

Play architecture for the development of children and adults

One of our motivations: to accompany children in the construction of their imagination at each stage of their development and to propose intergenerational playgrounds to spend beautiful moments with the family. To do this, the architecture of the playground takes different forms: a perched hut to mix sport and play, a play tower to rise above the ground and offer beautiful observation points, as we did at the Prabouré Mountain Activity Park, or play modules in the shape of clouds, like the one we built in Avignon, for a feeling of maximum escape conducive to reverie. All our solutions are supplied as turnkey projects.

Si vous êtes une collectivité et que vous souhaitez intégrer un parc de jeux pour enfants au sein de votre commune qui soit à la fois original et éco responsable, contactez SMC2. Pour en savoir plus : https://www.smc2-construction.us/sport-play/

 

 

Whatever the project, wood construction is often an excellent alternative to conventional building techniques. It is economical, efficient and durable, and is also distinguished by its authentic and contemporary aesthetics. Located in Switzerland, the Avenches dojo is a particularly representative example.

 

PRESENTATION OF THE AVENCHES DOJO AND THE DISCIPLINES THAT CAN BE PRACTICED THERE

Located in the canton of Vaud, Avenches is a small Swiss town of about 4,000 inhabitants. During the 2010s, the municipality undertook a vast public development project to offer its residents a modern sports complex. One of the main infrastructures, built by SMC2, is the Avenches Dojo. The dojo is distinguished by the following technical characteristics:

• A total surface area of 1,500 m², including 200 m² of mats;
• A dozen changing rooms;
• A refreshment room of nearly 192 m²;
• A clubhouse.

In addition, there are the facilities necessary for the practice of martial arts and other sports. The facility is home to the Avenches Judo Club, as well as the Avenches Sport & Santé Association. Members can practice judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Pilates, yoga and cross-training.

 

THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STAGES OF THE AVENCHES DOJO

With a view to sustainable development, SMC2 opted for the use of a wooden frame. The construction of the Avenches dojo was based on the principle of dry construction. This means that no water was used on the site, as would be the case when pouring concrete or erecting a building with cement. The implementation time is shorter, while the execution remains easier to understand.

The use of environmentally friendly materials and techniques has minimised the environmental impact of the site. This is also reflected in the operation of the site. Wood is known to be an excellent insulator and reduces energy consumption. It is easier to regulate the interior temperature by using the properties of the materials alone. In summer, the use of air conditioning is limited, while in winter, heating may not be necessary.

 

 

ENSURING THERMAL AND ACOUSTIC COMFORT FOR THE OCCUPATION AND OPERATION OF THE DOJO

The Avenches dojo therefore offers ideal conditions for sports training as well as for competitions and tournaments. This also applies to the reception of the public on the occasion of these events. Spectators and supporters can sit on the bleachers on either side of the halls. The ancillary facilities, such as the cafeteria and the circulation areas, have also been given special attention to ensure that the premises are comfortable in all circumstances.

In this context, it is essential to ensure that the rooms have excellent acoustics so as not to impact on the concentration of members or neighbouring activities. Here again, the wooden frame of the dojo plays a fundamental role in avoiding acoustic problems, such as echoes and reverberation of sounds. SMC2 has also incorporated eco-materials in the form of cladding. The presence of OSB (Oriented Strand Board) panels improves the quality of the acoustic environment.

 

OPTIMISING THE INDOOR AIR QUALITY OF THE DOJO WITH A WELL THOUGHT-OUT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE DESIGN

Depending on the type of structure, it is sometimes difficult to preserve the quality of the indoor air, especially in a sports setting. SMC2 favoured eco-materials, such as wood from sustainably managed resources, for the construction of the Avenches dojo. In addition to optimised indoor air circulation, this choice is distinguished by other advantages such as

• Reduced emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• A hygrometric rate regulated in a perennial and natural way in order to avoid condensation on the cold surfaces and the glass walls.
• The assembly products, treatments and finishes have been rigorously controlled to ensure better indoor air quality.