Project, solution, service and innovation for Sibca

Accelerate social housing construction with Muance

Today, the supply of social housing in France is far from adequate. Every year, around 80,000 homes are built, when more than 160,000 are needed. And by 2030, the need for social housing is set to increase by a further 30%. What's more, the building sector is one of the biggest emitters of CO2 in France, and must now comply with more stringent regulations to help combat climate change.

This raises the question of how to build better, faster and more responsibly, while making life more comfortable for the French. It was against this backdrop, and in response to these challenges, that Muance was founded in 2020. This start-up specializes in the manufacture, marketing and implementation of b timents using prefabricated modules.

An innovative process for faster, greener building
The process developed by Muance aims to industrialize the construction of social housing through a solution combining industrialization and a modular construction system. It is based on the manufacture of fully-fitted 3D volumetric modules, manufactured at the company's Vatry plant (Marne), due to open in October 2023, and then assembled and connected on site in the same way as bricks in a building set.

The Muance solution is based on 3 key principles of circular industry:

the use of low-emission materials such as low-carbon concrete (three times lighter and 10 times stronger than conventional concrete), or bio-sourced insulation, Miscanthus, made from local plant fibers, which are grown using low-input methods;
85% industrialization of processes, enabling us to optimize resources, respond to specific industrial needs and repeat operations, with a 35% reduction in loan materials;
The digital twin, from design to operation, which saves time in plant management and creates a digital building logbook with technical information.
This modular, virtuous construction solution reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 60% compared to traditional construction, and protects resources and biodiversity. By opting for Muance, the speed of building construction is doubled, and costs are optimized by around 30%.

Commercial real estate financing: the contribution of Banque des Territoires
By developing its innovative construction solution, Muance can meet the challenges of social housing in France. The start-up is targeting rural and suburban areas, representing a potential of 40,000 homes. Several projects are currently underway in the Grand-Est region. In 2022, Muance won the i-Nov innovation competition and was awarded the GreenTech Innovation label by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition. Last September, Muance won a prize in the Construction & Real Estate category of the Cleantech Open France 2023 competition for its ability to offer a "rapid and sustainable response to communities facing a shortage of social housing".

Banque des Territoires supported Muance with its financing offer for industrial real estate. It agreed to an equity and quasi-equity investment of 686,000 euros for the Vatry plant (Muance Immobilier, the structure that carried out the construction).

Project partners:

Bpifrance
SODIV