Schools

The project raises the question of the construction of almost 1000m2 in a locality. How to build such a surface, and make it a continuation of fragmented mountain urbanization.

Architectural Project for a School and Afterschool Center – Five years have passed since we submitted our architectural proposal for the Honcourt School Group, located in Alsace and in the Vosges mountain range in Eastern France. Following 12 months of collaborative design (from September 2019 to February 2021) and meticulous planning, the construction preparations began in July 2021, and work commenced in September of the same year. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including supply chain disruptions, workforce shortages, and weather conditions, the school group was successfully delivered in early 2024. When we first visited the stunning site five years ago, snow blanketed the landscape, providing an impressive view of the natural surroundings at the village’s entrance. As we surveyed the land, several key questions shaped our design approach:

Berkeley Chess School was founded in 1981 as an after-school program. It has grown today to teach 7,000 children a year in the Bay Area and has produced an unmatched three grandmasters. The founder’s primary goal, however, has always been to empower children by teaching them chess, a predictor of future success in STEM subjects.

Berkeley Chess School was founded in 1981 as an after-school program. It has grown today to teach 7,000 children a year in the Bay Area and has produced an unmatched three grandmasters. The founder’s primary goal, however, has always been to empower children by teaching them chess, a predictor of future success in STEM subjects.

wək̓ʷan̓əs tə syaqʷəm Elementary School is the Vancouver School Board’s first completed school to be constructed entirely of prefabricated CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels, a material that reduces embodied carbon and makes for a calm and inspiring learning environment. The school is part of a Vancouver School Board pilot project to assess the possibilities of mass timber for future schools.

The seed for the timber school building was sown already in the architecture competition brief. The aim was to establish a school specialized in environmental education and the building was similarly supposed to illustrate the possibilities of environmentally responsible construction.

This project stemmed from the concept of repurposing a plot of land originally earmarked for the future expansion of the school, transforming it into a vibrant, lush outdoor learning environment. The vision for this new space is to offer students and teachers a variety of areas, each with unique typologies, where they can collaborate and congregate, all while immersed in greenery.