Bouygues Immobilier lays the foundation stone for the Eqwater office building in Issy-les-Moulineaux - 19 September 2008

On 19 September, François Bertière, Chairman and CEO of Bouygues Immobilier, laid the foundation stone of Eqwater, a 15,900-sq.-metre office building in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the presence of André Santini, Minister of State with responsibility for the Civil Service and mayor of Issy-les-Moulineaux, and Franz Lucien Mörsdorf, Managing Director of Deka Immobilien, Eqwater's owner.

The building is situated 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, Microsoft Europe and Bouygues Immobilier.

Designed by the American firm Arquitectonica, Eqwater is a seven-storey building that takes an unashamedly modern approach to architecture. With its glass and metal shell, geometrical forms and striking façades, it will be one of the new district's flagship buildings. 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. It is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2010.

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 lighting near the façades 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.

Eqwater has been sold to the DekaBank group, 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 €18 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.