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A Paris suburb is undergoing a significant transformation as it prepares to host thousands of Olympians this summer.
The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee has been diligently working on the athletes’ village since February, putting the final touches on the more than 50-acre site.
Building the Olympic Village is a massive project. It’s normally a 15-year project – but construction in Paris has been condensed to 5 years.
“It’s quite a challenge,” said Julia Watson, Olympic Athletes Village assistant director.
The village, which spans over 70 football fields, is being built in record time.
“For this village. We’re using new technologies of construction. That reduces the amount of carbon that they emit,” said Georgina Grenon, Olympics director of Environmental Excellence.
The village is being constructed using upcycled material and innovative design, with the aim of cutting its carbon footprint in half and meeting commitments to the Paris Climate Accords.
Related video above: Looking at the Paris Games torch route
The village is divided into three sections: a people’s hub at the village plaza, training sites with a view of the River Seine, and nearly 3,000 apartments, notably without air conditioning.
“The air can go through the apartment so that if in summer it’s hot, you can create air circulation,” Watson said.
The village is also eliminating single-use plastics and planning for the village’s life beyond the Olympics.
When the athletes move out, more than 6,000 low-income people will have the opportunity to move in, rising to meet both the Olympic occasion and Paris’ environmental and housing challenges.
The village’s location also plays a key role, as most athletes will have less than a 30-minute commute from their venues.
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