Wood Is Good – World’s Tallest Wooden Towers Proposed for Paris

As American Carpenters in Paris you learn quickly how little wood is used in construction and renovation here.

Bottom line; it’s just too expensive.

Much of Europe has been deforested many hundreds of years ago. In fact the first US patent was for potash or wood ashes used for fertilizer, which was sold to Britain and other European countries.

But lately, it seems as if wood has been getting a bad rap.

The focus on sustainable development never seems to include lumber as a material of choice; that is until now.

In the article, Towers Proposed For Paris Would Be The World’s Tallest Wooden Structures wood evangelist and architect Michael Green argues exactly the opposite.

He says because of new technological advances wood as a building material has become stronger, safer, and more economical than steel.

But Green goes even further, “Just as Gustave Eiffel shattered our conception of what was possible a century and a half ago, this project can push the envelope of wood innovation with France in the forefront.”

And with a name like ‘Green’ it’s kind of hard not listen.

Eiffel Tower Renovation

Once condemned as ‘pointless’ and ‘monstrous’ by notable writers such as Maupassant and Zola, 125 years after its completion the La Grande Dame de Paris is finally getting a face lift. The Eiffel Tower has been under a 30 million euro construction project over the past few years and recently unveiled the result. Long overdue repairs to elevators were made that sometimes left visitors waiting in line up to 3 and 4 hours. Solar panels were installed but the most impressive feature is the new glass floor that hovers a jaw dropping 57 meters (167 feet) above the ground.

The Eiffel Tower, Paris. View from below.

Click here for an interesting article that talks about the economics behind the renovation. In 2003 the Eiffel Tower topped out at about 7 million visitors per year. So the purpose of the glass floor is to get people to spend more time in the shops before heading to the top. Talk about a rénovation intérieur au Paris!

Smart Small Space Renovation

Metro de París

Metro de París (Photo credit: Maldark)

The average price of a home or apartment in Paris is 10,000 euros a square meter. Just outside of Paris the price drops dramatically but as far as the city of Paris itself, a renovation of the this size would be of a home worth millions and millions of dollars.

We forget how lucky we are as North Americans where simple working class people from Vancouver can live in a space that in other parts of the world are the domain of the rich and well to do. God Bless North America! 😀

But even if you have a small place here in Paris this fun before and after video gives some great tips.

The mirror at the front entrance is a great idea because it reflects the light through out the house..

They do a nice job of having a basic color theme that they continue throughout the home with accents in the bedroom and the family room.

And from a construction cost stand point they made a good choice by replacing the bathroom with an island for the kitchen. This saves on the cost of rerouteing the plumbing which in certain situations can get painfully expensive.

Good job guys!

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Traveling To Paris? Check Out Airbnb.com

When it comes to accommodations in Paris, nothing  beats https://www.airbnb.com.
Meet Ondine.
In her profile she says
“Hey, I’m a simple and nice person willing to rent my Parisian flat sometimes when i’m away from Paris or just sleeping in another part of the city.”
In her apartment description she writes,
“I sublet my mini-castle! It’s 30sq meters with 1 bed for 2 persons and a couch. The flat is located in the north east area of Paris, but quite close to the center. I will wait for you at home and present/explain you everything, give you the keys and then leave, but if you need anything during your stay don’t hesitate to call me!I hope you’ll have a pleasant stay in my little castle 😉 Feel free ton contact me for further information! – Ondine”Check out the full description and pics of the apartment here.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/531446

Arrondissements of Paris

Arrondissements of Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now guess how much she is charging a night.

It’s 30 square meters.

Very comfortable.

Near the center of Paris.

Guess how much? 200 euros? 150 euros? 100 euros?

She is renting from 49 euros a night! Is that great or what? You are not giving your money to some corporate behemoth. You are giving it to a nice person, a real life Parisian native, and all she asks is that you leave the place clean when you leave.

So if you are planning a stay in Paris, airbnb is definitely an option we recommend you look into.

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Le Gourmand du Mouffetard

Our week in Paris has been truly memorable. Your apartment is truly fantastic. The welcome booklet recommendations were spot on. We will be sure to stay again when next we visit Paris. Jayden and Morgan.

http://www.parisgourmandapartments.com/

Français : La plaque de la rue Mouffetard à Paris

Français : La plaque de la rue Mouffetard à Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the above link are two apartments we have renovated for two wonderful clients that we are glad to call our friends. They were very clear in their vision and expectations which made them a joy to work with and their apartments a pleasure to renovate.

If you have the desire to do something like this, buy property in France, renovate it and rent it out or or keep it as a vacation home, it is more than possible. It’s done all the time.

The reasons are many. One main attraction to property in Paris is it is seen as a good investment. The real estate industry here is tightly regulated. This makes predatory lending which was rampant in the United States and elsewhere absolutely impossible here.

You may think property in France is too expensive.

In coming posts we will show you how property just minutes away from Paris can be as much as 75 percent lower in price than the same square footage in town center.

Here is a video which reveals a secret about purchasing property in France that only insiders like us know. 😀

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