Arkemep — Fusing Energy

Fusing energy. — MEP engineering office — Aix-en-Provence, France

MEP engineering office — Aix-en-Provence, France

RE2020 thermal (France's 2020 environmental regulation for buildings), regulatory acoustics, MEP fluids · plumbing · CFO/CFA electricity. Since 2009, the energy subsidiary of the NORMAXIS group, we secure the technical decisions of clients across Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Nice, Toulon and the whole Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

2009

Group founded

500 +

Operations supported

RE2020

Framework mastered

PACA

Operating region

Positioning

An MEP engineering office that thinks operation from the sketch stage.

The most costly mistakes in MEP engineering happen before the detailed-design phase: unchecked thermal assumptions, system choices incompatible with operation, underestimated regulatory acoustic constraints. ARKEMEP engages from the sketch stage to lock in the structuring decisions.

Our studies are carried out by engineers. RE2020 thermal calculations, dynamic simulations, carbon LCAs, MEP sizing, predictive acoustics: every result is produced, reviewed, interpreted and signed by a professional who carries the responsibility. We monitor the AI tools beginning to emerge in the sector — we test them, assess their reliability, and will integrate them as they become trustworthy. Today, the value of an ARKEMEP study lies in the human competence of the person who signed it.

Three requirements that others handle separately:

  • Regulatory — RE2020 (Bbio, Cep, DH, Ic), tertiary decree / OPERAT, NRA acoustics.
  • Building physics — dynamic thermal simulation, 50-year carbon LCA, airborne and impact acoustic simulation.
  • Operation — building management system (BMS) to drive performance after delivery, OPERAT to track the tertiary-decree trajectory.

We work with public and private clients across the greater Aix-Marseille-Provence area, tertiary developers, social housing owners and urban planners. We are independent of installers, suppliers and certification bodies — the condition for a technical recommendation aligned with the client's interest.

Every ARKEMEP study is designed as court-admissible evidence: citable calculation notes, documented assumptions, working methods tied to the regulatory texts in force. In a dispute, a technical audit or a judicial expert procedure, the deliverables hold.

Our practices

Six domains, integrated engineering.

RE2020 thermal & carbon LCA

Bbio, Cep, DH, Ic studies, summer comfort. Dynamic thermal simulations (DTS). RE2020 carbon LCA: envelope, equipment, energy, water over 50 years.

Building acoustics

NRA acoustic studies (airborne, impact, equipment, neighbour noise). 3D simulations, prescriptions across all trades, on-site acoustic follow-up.

HVAC · Plumbing · Ventilation

Heating/cooling/ventilation sizing, system schematics, technical specifications, synoptic diagrams. Passive cooling, heat pumps, dual-flow ventilation, heat recovery.

Electricity CFO · CFA · BMS

Power and low-voltage currents, single-line diagrams, panel sizing. BMS interface to drive performance in operation.

BIM MEP

3D modelling of MEP networks, integration with the architect and structural engineering. Quantitative extractions, cross-discipline coordination, clash detection.

Operation & tertiary decree

OPERAT support, consumption reduction trajectories, energy audit, optimisation of existing systems.

Construction phase

Technical OPR & on-site follow-up.

What cannot be designed remotely. During the construction phase, our engineers approve execution drawings, close out snags, conduct the Pre-Handover Operations (OPR) and validate the technical compliance of the delivered installations. Construction-site supervision cannot be delegated to an algorithm.

Technical OPR — installations acceptance

Final acceptance of HVAC, plumbing, CFO/CFA electricity and BMS installations. Functional verification, testing and commissioning, closure of last snags before handover to the operator.

Execution follow-up & approval

Approval of contractor execution drawings, conformity check against the design studies, verification of the work carried out during construction. Cross-discipline MEP coherence.

Tender bid analysis

Technical breakdown of HVAC, plumbing, electricity bids. Detection of under-sizing, deviations from the specifications, hidden margins. Argued analysis report for the client.

Energy pathology diagnostic

Infrared thermography on existing buildings — thermal bridges, insulation defects, air leaks, claims. System operation audit, root-cause analysis on installations.

Occupied-building audit

Indoor and outdoor noise mapping and HVAC diagnostic in occupied buildings — social housing landlords, tertiary REITs, condominiums. Definition of costed corrective strategies.

OPERAT operating follow-up

For tertiary buildings > 1,000 m², initial BMS parameter setting, verification of actual consumption against the 2030/2040/2050 trajectory, annual OPERAT declaration, corrective action plan.

Court-admissible regulatory measurements? Air-tightness tests (QUALIBAT 8711), on-site acoustic measurements (NF EN ISO 16283), RE2020 ventilation control (QUALIBAT 8741) and energy performance certificates are conducted by our dedicated subsidiary ARKENOR — Measurements & diagnostics, as a qualified independent third party. This separation between engineering and third-party measurement gives the acceptance attestation its legal value.

What we produce

Structured deliverables, from sketch to delivery.

  • Costing of technical assumptions at sketch / preliminary design stage to secure the decision before the programme is locked in.
  • Production of technical specifications, system schematics, calculation notes at detailed-design / tender stages, compliant with the frameworks in force.
  • Tender bid analysis, technical follow-up during construction and approval of execution drawings.
  • Documented delivery file: synthesis sheets, regulatory attestations (RE2020, acoustics), as-built drawings.
  • Post-handover return on experience, initial BMS parameter setting and functional tests (court-admissible regulatory measurements conducted by ARKENOR as an independent third party).

Regulatory benchmarks

Structuring thresholds and milestones at PACA scale.

Zone H3

RE2020 climate zone — PACA

French order of 4 August 2021 (Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Alpes-Maritimes)

1,250 DH

Lower summer-comfort threshold

Th-BCE 2020 method — discomfort above

290 → 70 kW

BACS decree thresholds for tertiary

Decree no. 2020-887 (BMS mandatory 2025 then 2027)

−40 % by 2030

Tertiary decree trajectory

Decree no. 2019-771 (OPERAT) — milestones 2030/2040/2050

Operating zone

An engineering office based in Aix-en-Provence, mobile across the whole PACA region.

From our Aix headquarters we operate across the whole Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region — with operational knowledge of Mediterranean climate specifics (summer comfort DH, urban heat island, water stress, fire risk) and regional regulatory frameworks (BDM / QDM / BD2M).

Aix-en-Provence
Marseille
Nice
Toulon

Our teams also operate in Cannes, Avignon, Arles, Aubagne, La Ciotat, Draguignan, Gap and Monaco depending on the operations.

'How much does an MEP engineering mission cost in the PACA region?', 'a' => 'The cost depends on programme complexity (residential vs tertiary, new vs renovation, single or multi-building), mission scope (study only, full design, technical consulting) and BIM integration level. We issue a detailed quote after a first programme analysis. Contact us with: net living or floor area, typology, precise location, current phase.' ], [ 'q' => 'What is the difference between ARKEMEP and an installer or technical inspection office?', 'a' => "ARKEMEP is a technical engineering office (BET) independent from installers, equipment suppliers and certification bodies. Our mission: design, size, draft specifications and advise the client. An installer executes the works; a technical inspection office verifies regulatory compliance during and at the end of construction. The three roles are distinct and complementary — the BET's independence guarantees the neutrality of the technical choice." ], ]" />

Structuring a new build or a retrofit?

Let's talk through the technical assumptions before the programme is locked in. Our Aix-based teams reply within 48 working hours.

Sans engagement · Réponse sous 48 h ouvrées · Données confidentielles