Working in accordance with my values

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

In high school, I loved science subjects, and after high school, I did a preparatory class in physics and chemistry. At the end of these 2 years, I still didn’t have a clear idea of the subjects I wanted to go into, so I decided to choose a general engineering school and enrolled at the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne.

In the first year, the core curriculum covered a wide range of subjects and that’s how I started to become aware of the various aspects of energy transition and global warming. That’s what made me want to specialise in energy, energy transition and fluid mechanics, the subject of my first internship in a public research laboratory. I liked the research work but I wanted to see how a company works. I really enjoyed my courses on energy efficiency in buildings and I decided to go into this field because I felt that there was a lot to be done in this area with very practical applications.

I did my end-of-studies internship in the building and heating networks sector, with part of my assignments in the field as a project manager, and another part on feasibility studies. After this, I responded to an offer from Lab Crigen for the Lab Bâtiments et Villes du Futur (Buildings and Cities of the Future Lab), and voilà! In November 2024, it will be 3 years since I was hired. 

What is your role in this Lab?

On a day-to-day basis, we deal with a wide range of issues, but the main aspects of my work in this Lab are energy-efficient renovation of buildings and analysis of public policies, i.e. the regulations and subsidies put in place by the government to encourage renovation.

We rank renovation projects in relation to each other, taking into account energy, environmental and economic indicators, enabling us to assess the relevance of renovation projects in a given context. For example, insulating all the walls of a building can be very virtuous from an energy point of view, but it is very expensive and will not be accessible to all households. 

Taking all the indicators into account, we assess which renovation projects are the most worthwhile to implement, depending on the situation. I work mainly in the residential sector, but I have also been involved in projects to encourage small professionals to undertake energy renovation.

In another area of my work, I am involved in modelling the energy consumption of buildings on a regional scale, for example to design a heating network or to analyse the impact of energy renovations on consumption over the years.

I love all the projects I get to work on and I appreciate this diversity that allows me to discover and develop my skills in a wide range of subjects.

The energy consumption of buildings represents huge opportunities for energy savings and decarbonisation?

Yes, the building sector, i.e. the residential and tertiary sectors, accounts for over 40% of France’s energy consumption. There are many ways to save energy, both in terms of energy sobriety (changing our habits to consume less) and energy efficiency. As far as energy renovation of buildings is concerned, the government has introduced grants for the residential sector, which encourages people to take action, but the scheme could be improved to make it even more accessible. The tertiary sector is more complicated to address because of the diversity of buildings and uses - although there is also great potential for energy savings to be exploited.

As well as the diversity of subjects, what do you like about what you do?

Over and above my interest in the technical subjects we cover, what drives me and motivates me are the challenges that my activities address. In this sense, my work is in line with my values.

I also like the concrete aspect of my subjects: a building is something that speaks to everyone, something we all need.  

Another aspect I appreciate is the way the results are made accessible to the general public. To obtain our results, we carry out very detailed technical studies, but the people who make the decisions, the people who have the power to change things, don’t necessarily have the scientific knowledge that enabled us to carry out these studies. However, these are the people who need to be made aware of environmental and energy issues, so there’s a real need to disseminate information to and communicate with these people. The aim is not to bury them in data they don’t understand, but to explain orders of magnitude and trends. And I particularly enjoy the work involved in presenting the results in the best possible way, so that the ideas are heard, understood and acted upon. 

And when you’re not working, what do you like to do?

Above all, I enjoy sharing time with the people I love, be they friends or family. I’m quite curious and open-minded, so I’m always ready to try out new activities. Personally, I do modern jazz dance and play the piano. I like having plants around me and looking after them. I love going away on weekends to discover new places, by the sea or in the mountains, but preferably in the countryside. 

Finally, I also love manual activities and creative workshops, making little decorative objects.

Is there a little phrase, motto or quote that’s important to you?

Yes, it’s a phrase that says, “Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like and celebrating it for everything that it is.” (Mandy Hale)

It’s good to have plans, but so many things can happen that we hadn’t thought of. It’s important not to feel disappointed or frustrated if things don’t turn out as you had imagined they would. Knowing how to enjoy everything that happens to us, day by day, is important for feeling good about ourselves and being happy.

Are there many girls at the Buildings and Cities of the Future Lab?

I’d say 7 or 8 out of about thirty.

During my studies, 23% of the class were girls. So we’re staying on the same order of magnitude.

In your personal experience, or when you think about it, do you see things that could lead more girls to choose scientific subjects and research?

There’s a lot to do, at every stage of life. 

To begin with, whether in the family or at school, don’t have any preconceived ideas or prejudices about what “suits” a child, whether it’s a girl or a boy, but let them go towards what attracts them, without biasing their way of thinking.

There is a lot to be done to improve the representation of women in all positions, to highlight career paths and profiles, to show that women have their place in all professions and to promote them in the same way as men.

If you had to sum up your personality in 3 words? 

Attentive, curious...

And generally when I have an idea in my head, when I’ve decided on something, I manage to do it, so I’d say I’m determined.