Design and architecture specialist Allison Arieff once complained about the design of educational buildings in the U.S.:
They do things very differently in France, where almost all public buildings are subject to public competitions, and often result in very beautiful buildings, like the Simone de Beauvoir elementary school in Drancy, a suburb of Paris. Designed by Bond Society, a young firm founded by Christelle Gautreau and Stéphanie Morio, who say they are “aware of the ecological urgency, we insist on the sustainability and the reasoned use of materials, natural, bio-sourced or from reuse.” They are teamed up with Daudré-Vignier & Associés, with 25 years of experience. Over the years we have seen many young talented architects get their start, with competitions and then teamwork with more experienced firms.
The upper floors are built out of wood, which the architects justified in the following ways:
- Wood construction helps develop the forestry sector and constitutes a relevant alternative to an all-concrete structure.Environmental quality and ecological interest: wood is a biologically renewable material, and the wood absorbs significant amounts of carbon dioxide in its cells, thus contributing to a reduction of the greenhouse effect. It is also energy efficient during installation.Dry-sector prefabrication: speed and precision.
Here is the finished classroom with the beams and columns still exposed, but the ceiling and lighting added between the beams.
Everything on the courtyard side is open and glassy, with a big swooping cover connecting them. “The school’s largely glazed ground floor forms a ‘center of life.’ It is a place of education, social life, and interactions, extending the space beyond its simple teaching function.”
Things are so different in France. Imagine a North American school named after someone like Simone De Beauvoir, author of “The Second Sex,” described as “a detailed analysis of women’s oppression and a foundational tract of contemporary feminism” and who had a very public and scandalous personal life.
Imagine design competitions for every school, where young architects get the opportunity to get recognized and where every building doesn’t go to the design-build team with the cheapest price.
Imagine floor-to-ceiling glass facades instead of bulletproof concrete and secured vestibules. Where the architects can say that “usability and environmental requirements prevail in the design, which is intended to be conducive to a study environment” instead of it being a windowless fort.
It’s truly a different world.
