Architectural design competition

Our "brother and sister" concept is based on the fundamental idea of complementarity and harmony. The project, located above the village's central square, consists of two different buildings that seem to respond to each other like twin figures, while adding a new dynamic to the urban environment.

The first building, four storeys high, houses the kindergarten program, while the second, three storeys high, houses the elementary school. The result is a difference in size that enriches the architectural landscape while respecting the village's traditional scale. The project takes full advantage of the sloping terrain. These differences in height also ensure successful integration into the surrounding urban fabric, preserving
visual harmony and avoiding disproportionate dominance. To link the upper and lower levels, a step was designed between the two buildings, allowing people to move from one level to the other without having to walk around the property. Each volume retains its own vertical distribution, reducing flows and distances within the school program.

The project is designed with a constructive rationality that takes into account today's climatic challenges. To achieve this, wood is used as both structure and envelope. The entire building is constructed in BLC timber frame construction, with collaborative timber floors.

The core of the school's load-bearing structure is made of reinforced concrete to create a
bracing with the rest of the structure, which is built with wooden frames for the facades. This choice of materials was based on its effectiveness in terms of acoustic and thermal insulation.

Priority was given to the use of recycled concrete and Swiss-origin wood as natural, non-toxic materials (plaster, natural lime, larch), thus reducing grey energy and environmental impact.
In short, this project stands out for its simplicity, while taking up the challenge of adapting to the uneven terrain, optimizing space, adapting to an architecture in harmony with the surrounding village style, and adding to this, an intelligent connection between the two buildings.