Kaufman & Broad made Highlight its new headquarters

Individual seat. Developer Kaufman & Broad moved into the brand new Highlight campus last September. Highlight, located at 17 quai du Président Paul Doumer in Courbevoie, near La Défense, is the result of a complex reconstruction of the former Canon headquarters signed in the 1970s by renowned architect Jean Tschumi.

Designed by Studios Architecture, managed by developer Kaufman & Broad, renovated by Spie Batignolles and partially acquired by Eurazeo, the new Highlight campus covers 31,500 square meters. It consists of a small office building of about 5,000 square meters and will soon integrate the Eau Seine Normandie agency into the 216-room Staycity hotel residence after a delay of several months. But the focus is on this 17,500 square meter building spread over fifteen floors overlooking the Seine River.

It was in the main building that Kaufman & Broad installed its 400 employees in an area of ​​almost 9,000 square meters, established until then along the avenue Charles de Gaulle in Neuilly-sur-Seine and, before 2005, on the upper floors of Montparnasse. the castle Kaufman & Broad turned to CBRE Design & Project to help fit it into their new building. The move was also an opportunity for the promoter to relocate its teams to a flexible office.

“Highlight is a true demonstration of Kaufman & Broad’s know-how and high standards,” the promoter assures. Show on one hand, because this large real estate transaction was underwritten by Kaufman & Broad, a lesser known third-rate real estate. Also because the developer took the opportunity to purchase a new sales area and showroom designed as an apartment for their private clients who are looking to purchase one or even an apartment.

“This is a project we started in 2016 with the goal of turning it into a next-generation urban campus,” said Charles-Henri Billot, deputy general manager of Kaufman & Broad’s business real estate practice. .

To breathe new life into this complex, Studios Architecture paid special attention to open spaces. Previously, the parking lot was located right in the middle of the buildings, but now it is a green island of 850 square meters, replacing the bitumen. Two 930 square meter planted terraces on the roofs of the fifth and fifteenth floors of the main building offer exceptional views of the capital and its Eiffel Tower as well as the La Défense business district. In addition, the hotel residence has a green terrace on the roof with an urban vegetable garden. “This approach reduced the area’s carbon footprint and protected it from heat island effects, while promoting biodiversity,” Kaufman & Broad emphasize.

“Thanks to its open spaces and exceptional services, Highlight is a true residence that offers a very attractive work environment adapted to the hybridization of uses. Various shared spaces, such as co-working or creative spaces, encourage collaboration between teams. The first residents of this campus, the group’s employees are also its ambassadors and now live our beliefs on a daily basis in terms of design, construction and environmental commitment,” says David Laurent, Senior Director of Corporate Real Estate, Logistics, Major Projects. and development at Kaufman & Broad.

Featured amenities include a concierge desk, a fitness center, and a conference room. For meals or snacks, campus tenants can choose between a modern brasserie, teahouse and self-service restaurant.

“We are proud to carry out this ambitious restructuring project, as it was truly an innovation laboratory and a demonstration of our experience in designing tertiary real estate. The highlight is an expression of our vision of sustainable development, our quality culture and our ambitions in terms of quality of life at work,” explains Kaufman & Broad CEO Nordine Hachemi.

This major restructuring allowed Highlight to obtain the NF HQE Excellent level, BREEAM Very Good level labels, as well as the Low Consumption and Low Carbon label issued by Effinergie. The building is also Wiredscore certified for connectivity.

Despite having two residents, Highlight is still not complete. Eurazeo is looking to fill the approximately 7,800 square meters of space still available in the main building. CBRE and BNP Paribas Real Estate are on the move for marketing.