Good Practice in Focus: Recygénie, Gennevilliers (FR)

As part of the Good Practices for Circular Planning and Construction outcome, CircleBIM highlights practical projects that show how circular strategies are applied in real planning and construction contexts.

Visualization project Recygénie. (Pioneer in Recycling | A26 architects | Holcim.com, 2024)

This project focuses on the circular strategy recycle, implemented through the complete recycling of concrete materials for new construction.

Recygénie is the first building in the world constructed entirely from 100% recycled concrete, including cement, aggregates, and water. Demolished building materials were carefully separated, cleaned, and recombined to produce a high-quality construction material with no loss of performance or aesthetics. This approach conserves primary raw materials, reduces CO₂ emissions, and demonstrates that large-scale recycling of building components is technically and practically feasible.

This project shows that circular strategies can be applied at scale, turning demolition waste into a high-performance building resource.

Recygénie demonstrates that full material recycling is achievable, setting a new benchmark for sustainable construction. It serves as a living laboratory and source of inspiration for architects, engineers, and policymakers seeking to close the loop in the built environment.

This project is one of the analysed cases in the “Good Practices for Circular Planning and Construction” document.