School Cafeteria and Daycare | 2023

The project involves the construction of a school restaurant in Plumieux, located at the entrance to the village, opposite the municipal school.

The L-shaped arrangement of the building masses, positioned to the north of the parking area and along the eastern edge of the former “City Stade,” creates a clear urban façade. This design provides a transition between the larger-scale facilities to the south and the smaller-scale residential fabric to the north. It also enhances the sequence of access to the site by offering a protected pedestrian link from the school to the landscaped spaces at the heart of the plot.

We envisioned a building with clean, simple lines where the construction method is expressed on the façade.

The program elements are unified under a single-sloped roof, which extends over the pedestrian walkway running alongside the building. This design reduces the height along the walkway and courtyard, creating spaces that are well-protected from the weather and the risk of overheating. The building’s height, equivalent to that of a house, ensures a human scale. The building’s generous setback from property boundaries minimizes shadowing and visual obstruction of neighboring gardens.

A cutout in the roof highlights the entrance hall. In the dining room and childcare area, the ceiling rises to follow the roof’s slope, providing comfortable heights. The curved ceiling, treated for acoustics, creates a soft and unique interior atmosphere. Lighting and air treatment systems are fully integrated. Above the preparation and sanitary/office areas, the available plenum allows for the installation of a technical mezzanine.

This adaptable roof unifies the various functions and reflects an architecture that respects the site and its construction heritage.

The arrangement of spaces results in a varied façade, alternating between solid wood-clad sections and glazed panels, some of which are protected by openwork wooden cladding. The use of wood emphasizes a low-carbon approach and ensures good landscape integration. Beyond fulfilling functional requirements, the project carefully considers and softens the relationship between the building and the surrounding environment.

Located as an extension of the covered walkway, the courtyard benefits from excellent orientation and its integration into the adjacent landscaped sequence.

The cross-ventilated dining room offers views to the northwest, onto the landscaped area bordering the property line, and to the southeast, onto the forecourt, where a planted area of trees provides separation from the parking zone.

Category:Schools and UniversitiesLocation:FranceArchitect: Alexis Joubert & Jean-François Madec, FranceDesign Team: Alexis Joubert, Jean-François MadecPhotographer: JFMA