100 Corrugated Board Houses in France

For 10 years, DS Smith Packaging France and real estate developer Bat’Ipac have been honing the IPAC® building panel technology; it looks like they’ve succeeded

“By taking the corrugated cardboard and layering it multiple times, we have discovered that the material is also extremely soundproof (reduces noise level by more than 44 dB. – GE), providing another great benefit for housebuilders and homeowners,” says Alain Marboeuf, Co-Founder, Bat’Ipac.

Apart from that, the corrugated panels are light, durable, and provide house insulation in all seasons, whereas normal insulation, keeping a house warm in winter, doesn’t often sufficiently keep a house cool in the summer months.

IPAC® panels are glued with an environmentally friendly starch adhesive and wrapped up with M1 flame retardant heat sealable polypropylene waterproof film. They can be used to form the walls, roof, floors and distribution partitions of all types of buildings.

In the mid-2000s, Alsatian inventor Hubert Lê designed and tested the first wooden module filled with corrugated sheets. It took him several years to perfect the product and secure the necessary insurance.

In 2012, together with Alain Marbeuf, they founded Bat’Ipac and built the first house west of Paris. Since then, the company has built 100 houses in partnership with DS Smith.

“The use of the recycled corrugated cardboard we provide is the most interesting option for a sustainable building,” says Thibault Laumonier, Managing Director, DS Smith Packaging France. “It’s been a brilliant opportunity working with Bat’Ipac and we’re excited for what the future holds.”

According to the European Commission, buildings in the EU are responsible for 40% of our energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. This innovative solution could be key in helping the building sector achieve climate neutrality by 2050 while sourcing renewable and fully recyclable materials.