“We wanted to stay in Libourne. Although it has many subsidiaries and more than 6,300 employees around the world, Something animal health is attached to its local roots…”
The company headed by Marc Prikazsky could easily have installed its head office in the Paris region or at least moved closer to Bordeaux. It has chosen the banks of the Isle, with more than 1,000 jobs on site, even as it pursues its international development. The new building should see the light of day on the shores of Lac des Dagueys. The works…
“We wanted to stay in Libourne. Although it has many subsidiaries and more than 6,300 employees around the world, Something animal health is attached to its local roots…”
The company headed by Marc Prikazsky could easily have installed its head office in the Paris region or at least moved closer to Bordeaux. It has chosen the banks of the Isle, with more than 1,000 jobs on site, even as it pursues its international development. The new building should see the light of day on the shores of Lac des Dagueys. Earthworks begin today. The first stone should be laid in the spring, for a planned move “probably at the beginning of 2024”.
Sébastien Hommes/François Hennequin/Cabinet BLP & Associés
For the CEO, Marc Prikazsky, it is a question of asserting Ceva’s image, of creating a showcase, while offering better working conditions to its employees. “We found this land in Dagueys, 9 hectares, of which 4.5 are constructible. We launched a competition for architects, after professionals from New Aquitaine, remunerating each one for their service. The project of the Bordeaux firm BLP & Associés was selected. »
Eco-responsible project
A proposal that takes into account the company’s desire to display “a strong eco-responsible image”, but also the values it intends to carry. “These are lands located in a humid zone, close to the Isle, the project had to be virtuous. It takes into account the biodiversity of the place. The use of geothermal energy, moreover, should enable it to “reduce its carbon footprint”.
We can consider a nursery, thus supporting other companies, start-ups working in the field of animal health »
For the firm BLP & associés, the challenge was to transcribe the will of Ceva animal health to have a building in the image of its development, “a major axis”. “We opted for the alliance of the circle and the square”, explains Nicolas Aygaleng, associate architect. “The perimeter is a circle, but the offices are associated with an orthogonal frame. We are quite proud of this plan which combines a contemporary form and a functional interior, with gardens and an amphitheater inside. All this with a view of the lake and the woods. »
The project supervised by the responsible architect Olivier Brochet, includes a welcoming ground floor, a reception hall, a company restaurant and customer reception areas, two floors of offices and a last floor welcoming the management. .
Archives Stéphane Klein/ “South West”
“This is a special project for us, continues Nicolas Aygaleng, because it was designed entirely during confinement. With the difficulties linked to teleworking for all, but also a lot of calm to think about all the axes of development. The project management is provided by BLP & associés, the landscaping firm Let’s Grow and the general contractor Cap Ingelec.
Evolutionary project
The budget ? “Several tens of millions of euros,” continues Marc Prikazsky. It is difficult to fully quantify. The Balestrière site will continue. We are going to develop it in the form of a campus, with the production unit, research and development teams and marketing. As if we had small and medium-sized enterprises within the ETI (1). Instead of one site with 1,000 people, we will have two with 500.”
Other questions arise, such as the layout of the premises which must be the subject of designer competitions, but also the destination of the company crèche or the development of the campus. “Leads are launched. We can consider a nursery, thus supporting other companies, start-ups working in the field of animal health. Or even do something with the conservatoire des races d’Aquitaine…” The work should be completed by the end of 2023.
(1) Mid-size company.
A company
“Ceva animal health has become in twenty years a beautiful and large company”, likes to say its CEO Marc Prikazsky. The leading French veterinary laboratory, fifth in the world, has subsidiaries from Japan to the United States, via numerous European establishments. The group, which emphasizes ethics and corporate social responsibility, develops medicines and vaccines for both farm animals and pets, is still growing. Its sector of activity has not been affected too much by the health crisis. “But some things have changed,” continues Marc Prikazsky. Especially in everyone’s relationship with pets, from “master” to “parent”. Needs have changed, particularly in terms of prevention, in the context of animal welfare. To meet these new needs, the CEO promotes Ceva’s “capacity to innovate”.
