Socri Reim launches Ceïba, a foundation dedicated to integrating nature into urban development projects

President of Socri Reim, Nicolas Chambon presented this Tuesday in Grasse, in the Alpes-Maritimes, the launch of his corporate foundation, named Ceïba, whose ambition is to lead reflection around “nature in the city.” “Our ambition is to bring together recognized experts within this corporate foundation to reconcile urban projects and nature,” he explains.

The president of the Montpellier-based company, specialized in commercial real estate and urban development, thus intends to extend the work carried out by his teams in the various projects, launched since the creation of Socri Reim in 2003. “Nature is part of our group’s DNA,” he says.

Fueling reflection

To carry out his ambition through Ceïba, he has brought together recognized experts, whose mission is to fuel reflection on the evolution of city development and redevelopment.

Thus, within the expert committee, there are Jean Mus, urban architect based on the Côte d’Azur, Jean-Paul Viguier, Parisian architect, Alain Marguerit, landscape designer and urban planner from Montpellier, Yann Fortunato, Montpellier industrialist and main driver of the agroforestry sector in the region, and Marie Morel, Montpellier lawyer committed to the defense of nature. Socri Reim employees are also represented through Pierre-Antoine Desplan, Deputy Director.

2 hectares of vegetation in Monaco

With a budget of €150,000, the Ceïba Foundation aims to “allow as many stakeholders as possible to benefit from our expertise acquired over the years,” insists Nicolas Chambon. For whom the company has a “cumulation of know-how around nature.”

He recalls the real estate projects launched by his company, all integrating a nature dimension. This is the case of the Le Polygone shopping center in Béziers, or Le Polygone Riviera in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Not to mention the impressive project won two years ago in Monaco. “On the former commercial site of Fontvieille, we are going to create 2 hectares of vegetation on the roof of the shopping center; it will be the largest urban park in Monaco.”

“Our professions are evolving”

The Ceïba Foundation will also have an advisory role for decision-makers and other developers. “We propose to advise local authorities on the development of nature in the city,” insists the president of Socri Reim.

For Jean Mus, “it will be about having, tomorrow, a perspective on what nature should be in urban space, and also seeing what the city needs in this matter.” Alain Marguerit recognizes: “our professions are evolving, a new engineering is being put in place.”

Article published on September 8, 2021 in Midi Libre and written by Karim Maoudj