Bouygues Immobilier sells the Eqwater office building in Issy-les-Moulineaux to DekaBank for €160 million - 30 January 2008

Bouygues Immobilier has sold the 15,900-sq.-metre Eqwater office building to the German investor DekaBank for €160 million. The building is located in the heart of the new Seine Ouest business district in Issy-les-Moulineaux, which will be home to the headquarters of several major companies including Bouygues Telecom, Bouygues Immobilier and Microsoft Europe.

Designed by the American firm Arquitectonica, the eight-storey Eqwater building is architecturally ambitious. With its glass and metal shell it proclaims an unashamedly modern style, blending perfectly into the urban environment while displaying an unusual geometric shape and striking facades. It is scheduled for delivery in early 2010. On the edge of Paris, Eqwater is well served by public transport (RER C suburban line, T2 tramway between La Défense and Issy-les-Moulineaux and the subway) and the Paris inner ring road.

Like the entire Seine Ouest project, Eqwater will be a showcase for Bouygues Immobilier's sustainable development know-how. The building, which has HQE® certification for commercial buildings, will offer a 20% saving on primary energy in comparison with standard office buildings that meet current thermal regulations (RT 2005). The interior lighting will vary automatically according to the intensity of natural light and restrooms will be fitted with presence sensors. Hot water for the staff restaurant will be produced by solar panels and rainwater will be collected for the automatic lawn watering system.

The DekaBank group is Germany's biggest promoter of open real estate funds. Its two investment companies Deka Immobilien Investment GmbH and WestInvest Gesellschaft für Investmentfonds mbH manage assets worth about €17 billion. Deka Immobilien GmbH is responsible for buying and selling properties, managing real estate assets and developing products. With DekaBank's Real Estate Lending unit, these three companies form the group's Real Estate Asset Management arm.