R-Révolution Santé: The body revolution

Inaugurated in Montpellier in September 2014, R-Revolution Santé, the first health optimisation centre in France, is an innovative concept for disease prevention.

Awareness of the body, guarding against the appearance of certain chronic diseases and a longer life, etc. Anything but a pipe dream according to Yann Desplan, General Manager of the Catalan Group, Fontalvie. Instead of “well-being”, an expression often bandied about, the latter prefers the term “feeling better”, which is directly in line with the philosophy of Révolution Santé, France’s first health optimisation centre. Based in Montpellier, this pilot site is based on a near-paradoxical observation: the welfare state, as it covers all the medical expenses of patients, takes away the responsibility of citizens/patients for their own health. In other words, we only go to see a doctor once the first symptoms have appeared. Some people would say this is not far from the truth.

“This is not exactly inevitable,” points out Mr. Desplan by way of emphasis. “Provided we work in a prevention framework,” adds Audrey Brun, Development Manager and a qualified psychologist. Setting its sight on reversing the classic circuit, the aim of R-Révolution Santé is to combat unhealthy lifestyles which, as the company underscores ”is the aim of preventive medicine”. The General Manager has set out these objectives: “We assess lifestyles - they may be environmental, physiological or psychological, etc. We do not look for illness, on the contrary, our aim is to be predictive, observing the factors of risk and protection for the person. It is essential to be able to situate them in their environment (family medical history, practise of sport, nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, genetics, etc.). On this basis, we propose healthcare strategies - an action plan implemented at R-Révolution Santé. We do not stop at the diagnosis stage,” explained Yann Desplan.

Questions put to Jean-Paul Meyran (Montpellier) architect for the health optimisation centre R-Révolution Santé

What's so original about this building?

The symbolism of R-Révolution Santé was developed around a central idea: breathing. This led to the system of ventilated façades which incarnate the building's skin. It has a particular shape, playing on square and trapezoid forms. The structure's volumes are rooted in the ground. These volumes symbolise reposing matter. The doctors themselves had a say about the building’s design!

The glass windows are coloured from the 2nd to the 4th floor. Why?

The idea was to have the window colour of certain units linked to their specialty: red for strength, green for rest. It is the first modern building to be designed where windows behave like stained glass. Profils Systèmes' technology permitted this feat. The different areas rise upwards with coloured perforations, evoking the lungs – the doctors at R-Révolution Santé are pulmonologists and cardiologists. The play of colour alternates to echo the rhythm of a beating heart and gives a musical quality to the building. The coloured glass windows remind us of the pores in skin. On the 3rd floor there is a passageway, a sort of artery, which goes through the centre of the building’s heart and links the two spaces. You see people passing through it in a halo of light. The artistic dimension is very important.

Why is there a large curtain wall at the entrance?

The ground floor and the first floor are made up of curtain walls, so that the edifice “breathes” above the space. The ceilings are very tall, bringing light into the reception hall and the spa.

What role do profiles play in this design?

The profiles are used for concealed openings, so that the coloured windows are at the same level as the skin of the façade. There are several types of openings, casement, fixed, tilt-turn. Wooden cubes of different sizes were created, in which we installed the profiles. The insulation and the double skin hide the profiles. It was more difficult to do, especially for waterproofing and insulating the cubes. All the cubes on the eastern side were designed to resemble pictures.

What are the technical characteristics of R-Revolution Santé?

The building has four storeys, with a car park in the basement. Its ground surface is 3,321m². The project is composed of two trapezoid building shapes, linked by a terrace, a passageway or a glass walkway, according to the particular floor. The structure and the covering envelope are in shuttered concrete; the design carries sunlight right into the heart of the structure. The building's super-insulation, the ventilated façades, the use of a heat pump, the installation of solar panels to heat hot water all combine to make this a positive-energy construction. It was a High Environmental Quality approach, to comply with the LEB label.

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Project Management, architect : Jean-Paul MEYRAN MONTPELLIER (34) - jp.archi@wanadoo.fr

Project calendar & delivery : May 2014

Contracting authority: FINAMUR

Profils Systèmes joinery ranges:

• Pazco® range

• Tanagra® Curtain wall

• Door 316 Series

Colours ranges: Profils Color® 7016 satiné

Manufacturer installe: DUCROS SN MONTPELLIER (34 )- contact@ducros-metallier.fr

Photos : Richard Sprang / Portrait : Jean-Paul Meyran