BESIX hands over ultramodern hospital to satisfied client (Paris)

On Friday 1 June 2018, BESIX France handed over the keys of the enormous and innovative Hospital Group Sud Île-de-France (GHSIF) in Melun to the client after a construction period of 36 months. The successful completion of this project reconfirmed the expertise of BESIX France in building healthcare facilities. The project is the latest in a long line of other large projects with high added value realised by BESIX France, including the EDF R&D Centre in Saclay to the south of Paris, the Carpe Diem tower in the La Défense Business District (Paris) and the Emile Huchet combined cycle power plant in Saint-Avold.

Official ceremony

Last Friday, an official ceremony was held at the site of the GHSIF during which the official hand-over of the keys took place. BESIX celebrated the completion – on time and on budget - of this challenging project along with several local politicians and the management of the hospital. It took BESIX just 36 months to construct the healthcare facilities which cover an area of 56,000 m² and can accommodate 510 beds. The process of moving services from the previous hospital to these new state-of-the-art buildings has already started. The first patient was welcomed on 4 June.

Design & Build, a winning combination for BESIX

“The public contract was based on the Design & Build formula, a winning combination for BESIX. As the main contractor and representative of the partnership, BESIX was responsible for both the design and construction of the hospital. After one year, the company was also awarded the contract to construct the shell, roof and internal walls of the Clinique Saint-Jean l’Hermitage on the same site and with the same completion date. Impeccable coordination was necessary in order to meet the resulting tight deadlines”, states René Jordens, Commercial Director at BESIX France.

Deadlines met thanks to LEAN management

The project team used LEAN management to coordinate the works. By focussing on the elimination of waste and making the best possible use of time for maximum efficiency, the whole site was delivered on time as well as on budget. Various elements from the project were prefabricated in order to minimise installation time.

“Approval was granted by the departmental advisory board for safety and accessibility (CDS) by the set deadline. The criteria for medical facilities are extremely strict so all the teams had to deliver work of a very high quality, which they did”, says Andres Penaloza, Director at BESIX France.

Flexible collaboration

The close collaboration between BESIX France and the AIA Life Designers group was a key factor for the success of the project. Architects, engineers, economists, urban planners and landscape designers worked together on the project, taking an open approach in order to find the most suitable technical solutions. AIA Life Designers facilitated the development of innovative solutions by liaising with the project owner right from day one of the project. The close collaboration between BESIX France and AIA Life Designers was the only way to cope with the complex conditions at the site.

“We collaborated with BESIX in perfect harmony throughout the entire duration of the project. The whole process was based on confidence and transparency, right from the contracting phase. This fruitful collaboration resulted in an attractive project carried out under the management of a stress-free team. The contracting selection board mentioned the impressive control and openness of the group", explains Jérôme Bataille, Architect associate at AIA Life Designers.

For the entire duration of the works and especially during the optimisation studies, an effective dialogue was conducted with the hospital teams and real willingness to listen led to interesting proposals being made. Any adjustments required were integrated in a clearly written tender over a long period of time during which BESIX France and AIA Life Designers retained the confidence of the hospital by confirming their financial commitments, even after the deadlines originally set. 

BESIX: Excel in creating sustainable solutions for a better world

BESIX maintained close ties with the local economy during the construction of the hospital group Sud Île-de-France by creating additional jobs for local subcontractors. At the peak, there were up to 300 workers on site. BESIX also made a major contribution towards the social inclusion project initiated by the city of Melun and the Communauté d’agglomération of Melun Val de Seine by giving preference to workers from underprivileged backgrounds: a fine example of how BESIX applies ‘respect’ in practical ways. Respect is one of the five values which underpin the company’s goal to excel in creating sustainable solutions for a better world.

Andres Penaloza, Director BESIX France: “We are proud to be able to hand over this challenging and innovative project to our satisfied client, both on time and within budget. The Hospital Group Sud Île-de-France has confirmed the position of BESIX France as a valuable partner for realising complex projects which create added value for society. Thanks to the expertise that we have gained from this project and the knowledge within the Group, we now have a chance of winning new contracts such as the Clinique de Neuilly-sur-Seine, the neuroscientific building of the Sainte Anne hospital and the transformation of the Gare du Nord railway station in Paris. ”

Handover of the keys to the Mayor of Melun, Louis Vogel. The Director of the GHSIF, Dominique Peljak, also attended.

Andres Penaloza, Director of BESIX France

The official ceremony

Children visit the site on the 1st of June

GHSIF

Picture taken during construction