Le Portier, sometimes referred to as Portier Cove or Mareterra, is a residential area under construction, expected to be completed in 2025. It will be part of the traditional Quartier of Monte-Carlo in the Principality of Monaco. Le Portier will extend between Port Hercules and the Grimaldi Forum, on an area of 6 hectares (15 acres). It will share a border with the districts of Monte Carlo and Larvotto.
Mareterra introduces a six hectare development with a focus on eco-system, responsible development and sustainability. Designed by architects Denis Valode (Valode & Pistre) and Renzo Piano (Renzo Piano Building Workshop), with landscaper Michel Desvigne, along with Internationally renowned designers, architects, engineers and environmental experts.
A clear goal behind the reclaimed land from the sea, is that it does not threaten the environment and in particular the seabed, a cause that is particularly important to Prince Albert II. This is why the project’s architects opted for a curved shape, to facilitate the flow of the sea current: “this current is very important, because it is what oxygenates the water. So there was an ecological aspect to this project ever since the beginning, ”explains Denis Valode, from the architecture firm Valode & Pistre, on the official website.
HSH PRINCE ALBERT II OF MONACO
“I wanted this new area to embody the excellence and conviviality which distinguish the Principality of Monaco so well. Mareterra will integrate perfectly with our shoreline, and in a few years will be seen as a natural extension of our territory.”
– Prince Albert II of Monaco
VISION
Mareterra is a transformational project for Monaco: a beautiful new community of residential, cultural, and recreational spaces that celebrates the spirit and sensations of the Mediterranean. The name ‘Mareterra’ is inspired by the two complementary elements of the project: the sea and the land. Developed using pioneering, sustainable building techniques, Mareterra lies at the heart of the Principality’s future growth.
FACTS & FIGURES
Mareterra’s development team is prioritising a number of measures pertaining to the ecosystem, sustainability and responsible development of the site which consistently upholds environmental conservation.
ECOSYSTEM
- Biodiversity shelters such as bird nests and insect hotels
- Procedures to save the 510m² of Posidonia Oceanica, a protected species of sea grass, and to tame Caulerpa, an invasive species of algae
- Artificial reefs and other measures to favour colonisation of the new sea coast
- Reduction of construction site impact
SUSTAINABILITY
- Smartgrid technologies
- Geothermal heating on sea water: huge heat pumps take the calories of sea water to generate both heat (in winter) and cold (in summer)
- Smart electricity and water metres with consumption display
- Self-use of sustainable energies
- Irrigation sprinkler system based on humidity and rainfall
- Smart lighting (based on astronomical clock and presence sensors)
- Around 200 charging systems for electric vehicles on the project (including 20% of the public car park) with the possibility to equip every parking space
- Each individual house is equipped with a charging system
- 4 parking spaces for the MOBEE car club
- 2 bike stations, one being suited for electric bikes
- Electric shuttle between Larvotto beach and Mareterra
- Enhancement of the existing sewage system on the Portier roundabout (next to the extension) with a storm pond preventing the saturation of the pipes
- Leak detection system on the pipe network (including the irrigation sprinkler system)
- Batteries to store energy surplus
RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT
- No phytosanitarian chemicals for the parks and gardens maintenance
- Bill of specifications for the future owners (helping them with the choices over garden adjustment and maintenance)
- Precise recycling : household rubbish, organic waste (compost), paper, glass, packaging and textiles
- Energy performance monitoring by the co-ownership association
- Educational trail (with noticeboards to inform about the project)
- Developed according to the following certifications:
- BREEAM, which is the standard assessment to evaluate the environmental performance of buildings
- HQE Amenagement — advises neighbourhoods about sustainable development (supporting measures for attractiveness, social cohesion, reasoned use of resources, resilience)
- Espace Vert Ecologique EVE — which favours ecological gestation of green areas
- BiodiverCity — emphasis on biodiversity on construction projects, including ecosystems in the new constructions
- Port Propre — reducing the environmental impact of the port
Source: Mareterra Website
