primary school, châteauneuf-conthey, competition, 3rd place

client :

town of conthey

program :

6 classrooms, 2 learning support rooms, 2 manual activity rooms, 1 teachers'room, pre/post-school childcare for 80 children with réfectory and activity room, sports hall, cloakroom, techniques

dates :

competition august 2012

sia 116 volume :

17’330 m3

the extension to the school complex is positioned to the north-east of the site and is attached to the existing school to form a functional and spatial whole. the schoolyard, as the key protected space, is the core of the complex. one side of the building overlooks the avenue de la gare and despite its difficult context, it maintains a dialogue with the neighbouring large commercial buildings via its imposing north and west façades, while adopting a more child-friendly appearance on the schoolyard side. to the east of the site, a park is laid out as an area for games and relaxation. the crèche/childcare unit to be built at a later date could be sited to the south of the site.

typology
the building consists of 3 wings, each devoted to a different use (school, pre/post-school childcare, sport). the classrooms in the west wing are ideally oriented towards the schoolyard, enjoying natural light without becoming excessively hot. the central part contains the pre/post-school childcare unit. on the ground floor, the cafeteria opens onto the schoolyard. the internal spaces communicate with one another via the double-height walls, which give users multiple viewing points. this space is arranged so that it can be used as a multipurpose area, if there is a sports event, for example. the east wing contains the sports hall which opens directly onto the sports fields outside.