Located in the heart of a developing neighborhood, the new elementary school in Chambéry is part of an overarching vision that integrates education, housing, and landscape preservation. The project is part of an integrated plan that includes two- to three-story residential buildings on adjacent lots, while twenty percent of the site is dedicated to conservation—a proportion that gives Chambéry its unique identity. The layout of the plan responds to a careful analysis of the site: its orientation forms a screen against winter winds, providing the schoolyard with a more comfortable environment for users and outdoor activities. This design logic extends into the building’s interior, where most classrooms benefit from abundant natural light throughout the day.

Sustainability is a founding principle of this design. Natural ventilation, provided by operable windows, allows for precise control of CO₂ levels in the learning spaces. The glazed surfaces, treated with low-emissivity glass, strike a careful balance between natural light and energy efficiency, while a geothermal system draws on the earth’s resources to provide the building’s heating and cooling. The choice of materials—wooden furniture, recyclable components, and finishes with low emissions of volatile organic compounds—extends this commitment to the very fabric of the building.

The biophilic approach permeates the entire project: from every living space, unobstructed views open up onto the park and the surrounding greenery, maintaining a constant visual connection between the child and the landscape. But biophilia is not limited to the view outward—it extends inward through the use of natural materials such as wood, reminding us of nature’s presence at the very heart of the learning spaces. An ecological conservation area, integrated directly into the site, establishes a dialogue between architecture and natural environment. The new school in Chambéry thus presents itself as a building rooted in its surroundings — sensitive to its orientation, respectful of its natural balance, and designed to support, under the best possible conditions, the learning of those who will inhabit it.

In collaboration with Atelier Sens.