Germaine Tillion school, Chennevières-sur-Marne

The project is the starting point for a transformation of the neighbourhood and the city. In this sparsely populated, largely planted suburban environment, the project proposes a smooth transition between this individual housing and the larger-scale developments planned for the future.
It must respond to several challenges: to create a facility in a poorly structured neighbourhood, to initiate urban development, to clearly identify functions, to secure uses and to meet a strict school calendar.
The project proposes a re-reading of the elements of the surrounding site. The houses with their mechanical or zinc tile roofs, their planted gardens and their low walls have a strong presence. The school group and the multi-purpose hall reuse the vocabulary of sloping roofs and the template of the pavilions. They are presented as a large farm with origami folded roofs. The volumes are staggered and rise towards the south.

The kindergarten and primary schools are built around their protected and secure courtyards. The building creates a protective cocoon for the children and offers them a reassuring learning environment. The interior spaces are bathed in natural light, filtered by moucharabiehs and exterior textile blinds. The exposed wood inside the building and the generous but human-sized volumes encourage peace and quiet.
The multi-purpose hall takes up these themes and offers a vast hall with many possible uses.
The building is designed with a wooden framework and light facades made of wood-frame caissons. The facades are made of light-coloured bricks and the roofs of pre-patinated zinc. The insulation is natural and bio-based, the floors are made of natural rubber and the ceilings are made of wood fibre or plaster. All materials are designed to be as natural and durable as possible.