LEED Platinum Project: Pomme de Pain

The LEED project in Boulogne-Billancourt is the first restaurant in France to achieve the highest level of LEED certification: Platinum. In this blog post, we will explore how we supported Pomme de Pain in this exceptional accomplishment. Armelle Le Bihan, CEO and founder of GBCE, interviewed Nicolas Papageorgopoulos, CEO of Pomme de Pain, to share their journey and the keys to their success.

Find the podcast on YouTube here.

Our Client: Pomme de Pain

Pomme de Pain is a French quality fast-food company, founded in 1980. The company stands out for its commitment to the quality of its products and customer experience. According to Nicolas Papageorgopoulos, "Pomme de Pain's mission since its inception has been to offer quality products with quality ingredients to all ages and socio-professional categories at an affordable price." 

Since the acquisition of the company in 2020 by Nicolas and his team, Pomme de Pain has integrated a new dimension into its mission: sustainability. Nicolas emphasizes that "we firmly believe that we can be a fast-food player today while developing good practices in eco-responsibility." Pomme de Pain's ambition is to double their turnover and the number of restaurants in France and internationally in the next five years, reaching 250 restaurants and 90 million euros in revenue, while adhering to strict environmental standards.

Choosing LEED Certification

In this context, Pomme de Pain called upon us, GBCE, to guide them in their journey towards obtaining their first LEED certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, recognized worldwide, was seen by Pomme de Pain as a way to structure and validate their sustainability efforts.

To learn more about LEED certification, visit here.

According to Nicolas Papageorgopoulos, "we were looking over two years ago at the landscape of eco-responsibility, and LEED appealed to us for what it offered in terms of workplace well-being for our teams [...] the ergonomics of workstations and the absence of volatile compounds in the paints used, for example." LEED certification was chosen for its ability to integrate strict criteria for energy, water, and material management, while placing a particular emphasis on occupant well-being.

Indeed, LEED covers a wide range of environmental and sustainable practices serving as a “roadmap” for projects, divided into 8 evaluation categories:

• Site: Planning and designing to preserve and restore existing natural habitats and wildlife, aiming to integrate the site into local and regional ecosystems and preserve biodiversity.

• Transport and Location: Choosing a site for its proximity to existing developments and access, encouraging compact developments, alternative transportation, connection to existing networks, and proximity services.

• Water Management: Efficient use of water by minimizing water usage, installing relevant controls, protecting potable sources, recovering rainwater, and using wastewater for external, internal, and operational process needs.

• Energy Management: Minimizing energy demand by incorporating passive design strategies based on local climatic conditions and supplementing building needs with clean energy and high-efficiency active systems and controls. (See our explanatory video on this topic)

• Indoor Environmental Quality: Designing a building that values health, comfort, and well-being of its users.

• Materials: Choosing environmentally friendly materials by preferring locally sourced, bio-based, low-toxic emission materials with minimized environmental impact throughout their lifecycle.

• Innovation: Encouraging projects to undertake environmental initiatives and implement sustainable building innovations that can both elevate the project towards exceptional performance and also catalyze adoption of these innovations in other projects.

• Regional Priorities: Encouraging projects to consider local geographic considerations in terms of environment, social equity, and public health.

By working closely with GBCE, Pomme de Pain benefited from personalized support and expertise in implementing LEED requirements. Our role was to guide Pomme de Pain through the various stages of certification, from initial assessment, costs, to implementing sustainable strategies, and decision-making support.

Strategies and Innovations

In Boulogne-Billancourt, to achieve the LEED Platinum level representing a minimum of 80 points obtained out of 110 points available across the 8 LEED categories, we implemented with Pomme de Pain strict and innovative strategies :

Energy Management

To optimize energy efficiency, Pomme de Pain implemented 100% renewable energy sources. Additionally, energy management is ensured by submeters that allow precise monitoring and control of energy consumption for kitchen equipment, lighting, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Another notable innovation is the heat recovery from ovens, which is reused to heat the building, thus reducing heating needs and associated costs.

Water Management

Efficient water management is a priority in this project. Pomme de Pain successfully reduced potable water consumption by 45% by installing low-flow sanitary fixtures. These devices reduce the amount of water used without compromising user comfort. Additionally, water submeters were installed to control and manage water demand, allowing quick detection of inefficiencies or potential leaks, enabling immediate corrective actions.

Indoor Environmental Quality

To enhance occupant well-being, 90% of occupied spaces benefit from natural lighting, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and improving the quality of life for employees and customers. CO2 sensors are installed to monitor indoor air quality in real-time, ensuring a healthy and comfortable environment. Moreover, all paints and materials used inside the building are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), minimizing occupant exposure to potentially harmful substances.

Sustainable Materials

The choice of construction materials was guided by strict sustainability criteria. The materials used have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), certifying their low environmental impact. Approximately 55% of the wood used in the project comes from sustainable sources certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Additionally, a large portion of construction and demolition waste was reused, recycled, or diverted from landfills, reducing the project's ecological footprint.

These strategies, combined with rigorous monitoring and meticulous planning, allowed Pomme de Pain to exceed sustainability expectations and achieve LEED Platinum level. To learn more, visit the project page here.

Project Challenges

Initial Lack of Knowledge

"Our biggest challenge was our lack of knowledge. We knew LEED was the way to go, and having your support for the entire project management was crucial. [...] We had a lot of information and moments of uncertainty, but everything was transparent as we progressed." Pomme de Pain had limited knowledge of LEED certification at the start of the project. Through close collaboration, we provided the necessary support to understand the processes and make informed decisions. This initial lack of knowledge is entirely normal and should not be a barrier for companies; the consultant's role is to guide and advise the client to best understand their needs and means to achieve their goals. To learn more about the role of a sustainability consultant, read our dedicated article. [https://www.greendesignconsulting.com/single-post/the-green-building-consultant-expertise-and-impact  ]

Planning and Decisions

"We like to plan things and move forward, but LEED doesn't always fully allow that." 

The LEED certification process imposes decisions along the way that can disrupt initial planning. LEED relies on rigorous documentation across a broad spectrum of sustainable practices. Sometimes decisions must be made earlier to consider all aspects of LEED certification.

Associated Costs

"It was more expensive than if we hadn't done it, but not excessively so. We had to add about 7% to our budget." 

A common misconception is that LEED certification entails excessively high costs. Although the project required an additional investment of around 7% of the initial budget, this increase was deemed reasonable and justifiable given the benefits obtained and the highest level of LEED certification. This cost increase was offset by the added value in terms of sustainability and environmental performance.

Involvement and Support

"Their expertise, pedagogy, and commitment were crucial in achieving this LEED Platinum certification." 

Nicolas Papageorgopoulos highlights the continuous support and involvement of our team, which were essential in overcoming the technical and specific challenges related to LEED certification. The relationship of trust and personalized support played a key role in the project's success. Our guidance enabled effective navigation through LEED's complex requirements and informed decision-making to achieve the set goals.

Client Feedback

"We were superbly supported by GBCE throughout this journey. Their expertise, pedagogy, and commitment were crucial in achieving this LEED Platinum certification." 

- Nicolas Papageorgopoulos, CEO of Pomme de Pain

Conclusion

The LEED Platinum project of Pomme de Pain in Boulogne-Billancourt demonstrates that it is possible to combine performance and sustainability. Through close collaboration and technical expertise, we achieved an exceptional level of sustainability.

Ready to embark on a LEED certification project? Contact us!