This paper presents the methodology of the research program "SMART FRENCH, collective housing of the second part of the twentieth century, through the prism of energy". Many energy renovation operations of this heritage are mostly carried out in the perspective of very heavy transformations, in particular by external thermal insulation. The aim of the research program is to appraise and rank the architectural, technical, historical or constructive value of these postwar housing complexes. The purpose is to build a database as exhaustive as possible on nearly 700 operations, published at the time of their construction and then to evaluate the initial environmental qualities of the projects in terms of integration into the landscape, solar orientation, spatial articulations, thermal inputs. This set of information will then be the subject of an analytical treatment to emphasize the most current situations and those that are considered obsolete in view of the contemporary demands.