In partnership with B Corp consultancy, A Beautiful Green, we carried out an in-depth assessment of our performance in five key areas - governance, workers, community, environment and customers - to establish a baseline, and therefore a foundation for measuring, managing and improving the company's social and environmental impact.

The journey to B Corp certification was a rigorous one, requiring two years of sustained effort to ensure that Agilité - a Parella company's long-term vision and values matched its external actions, a process that involved changes at both micro and macro levels.In December 2023, Agilité - a Parella company proudly achieved its B Corp certification, marking an important milestone in its journey towards responsible business practices. But the work doesn't stop there. In fact, we're already starting to think about our recertification in 2026.

The knowledge gained during the certification process has enabled us to implement responsible practices in everything we do. Since certification, I've taken on the role of Director of Operational Excellence, and it's my responsibility to ensure that our goal remains front and center as we continue to grow. I am building a team in the key areas of sustainability, quality, health and safety, operations, IT, governance and communications, to ensure that we continue to "walk the talk".

We work hard to surround ourselves with like-minded partners, and Agilité - a Parella company's commitment to sustainability extends beyond its projects to its entire supply chain. Our responsible purchasing program seeks out partners who share our long-term guiding principles, and with data-driven decision-making tools like Airtable, we're able to track regulatory compliance, performance and sustainability scores to ensure we're working with the right people.

With an exciting pipeline of projects in new geographies and collaborations with innovative customers, supply chain engagement is a real priority. Last year we introduced supplier forums in the UK, and we aim to extend these to all our sites by 2025. In the longer term, we are aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050, and are working with Neutral Carbon Zone (NCZ) to monitor, report and reduce emissions across our value chain. Currently a gold-certified member of the NCZ certification program, Agilité - a Parella company is aiming for platinum certification.

I truly believe that by continually raising its standards and adopting innovative practices, Agilité - a Parella company remains, as it always has been, dedicated to creating a better future for people, the environment and the global community.

Historically, ILAT was supposed to be less volatile than ICC (Indice du Coût de la Construction), long used to index commercial leases.

ILAT is based on a mixed basket including inflation (Consumer Price Index), the cost of new construction and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in value terms. This combination was intended to mitigate extreme variations, unlike the ICC, which is based solely on the cost of construction.

Currently, ILAT is particularly sensitive to economic fluctuations, due to the combined effect of several factors:

- Inflation, which remains high since 2021, fueled by rising energy and raw material prices.

- The cost of construction, impacted by rising materials prices and environmental constraints.

- Changes in GDP, which reflect an uneven economic recovery and influence.

This dynamic highlights a central issue for companies: how to absorb these increases while other operating expenses are also rising?

Much has been said about this for the opening ceremonies, but I found it particularly well done on site access, removing the usual barriers around disability.

As the Versailles site requires a long walk, electric shuttles were made available for anyone who has difficulty walking, has a visible or invisible disability, or is just elderly, pregnant, etc. There was no need to show any kind of card or pass to benefit from them.

Tools developed to assist one type of disability can be used by all if they are designed with this in mind. For example, for each event, the Games' dedicated application gave you access to an audio description. While this was aimed at the visually impaired, it was also educational, and very useful for children or non-expert audiences.

In the design of spaces, inclusive design aims to take into account the physical and physiological needs specific to each person by translating them into spaces that are useful to all. A height-adjustable desk, for example, will be indispensable for an employee in a wheelchair, but will also be much appreciated by someone suffering from occasional lumbago.

Taking inclusion into account must also be reflected in communication, like this delicate attention to "Stand up, if you can, for the hymns."

While project teams generally arrive exhausted at the end of the marathon that is a relocation project, for employees, this is where it all begins: the appropriation of new premises, the discovery of new ways of working, the establishment of new rituals...

To get the ball rolling, we feel it is necessary to bring new players into the game, second-half "finishers of the second half as Fabien Galthié in rugby.

They will be in charge of instilling this energy and promoting these new uses, making the most of the spaces and services put in place by the design team.

It's to accompany this implementation that we like to return to our projects after the move-in, to provide feedback that is much more than an assessment, it's a plan of action for the future.

Lease deadlines are not always adapted to your company's strategic stages.
To limit constraints and be able to move without delay, it is possible to negotiate one or more exit options in your lease, in addition to the usual deadlines (3, 6 and 9 years).

Depending on the geographical sector and the balance of power between lessors and lessees, a departure indemnity is usually requested. It is generally calculated in proportion to the support measures obtained at the start of the lease. It is therefore essential to negotiate them well.
You can also think in terms of flex ready, i.e. right from the start of your construction phase, design layouts to facilitate the implementation of a flex office organization, which can be deployed during the life of the lease without any additional work. In the current context, our customers are increasingly demanding this type of support.

Thomas works step by step, hand in hand with his customer.

The first step is to fully understand the customer's needs, and in particular the object's use. Then comes the sourcing of the material and its possibilities, durability and quality.

Other practical aspects, such as lead times or technical standardization constraints, can influence the design.

The project is conceived in co-construction with the customer, from the sourcing of raw materials to production.