Social & Employment
Location: Gennevilliers, France
Sponsors: Christophe Billières, Pascal Peslerbe, Valérie Gauthier
Grants: €25,000 to the Committee on October 2, 2007, €20,000 to the Committee on December 10, 2013, €165,000 to the Board of Directors on February 13, 2017, €100,000 to the Selection Committee on October 6, 2025
Project leader: Extramuros
Since 2007, the Veolia Foundation has supported the Extramuros association in an exemplary journey that combines circular economy, design, and professional integration. Today, this historic partnership reaches a major milestone with the creation of a center of excellence in the heart of Paris: the WikiVillage.
A Founding Relationship Born in the Heart of Waste
The story began in Gennevilliers. The association launched an innovative activity there: manufacturing objects from recycled materials, set up directly on a Veolia site. As Christophe Billières, the first sponsor, pointed out: "Extramuros presents several interests: it integrates the three components — social, economic, and environmental — which are the very raison d'être of the Veolia Foundation."
Innovation Through Sustainable Design
Between 2013 and 2017, the association scaled up with the "LIBRES" project, supported by the Foundation to design upcycled furniture in an open-source format. Pascal Peslerbe, a long-time sponsor, noted at the time that this social project generated general interest through the creation of “beautiful objects that carry meaning.”
2025: The Ambition of WikiVillage
Today, the collective is gathering at WikiVillage (Paris 20th) to create a center of excellence dedicated to the circular economy of wood. This new production and transmission hub includes five workshops equipped with professional machinery. it will welcome 1,200 people per year for awareness-raising activities and Qualiopi-certified training.
Valérie Gauthier, the project's sponsor, brings her operational expertise to structure this new phase.