School complex of Vernets

The site allocated for the school complex raises the question of the final piece of the puzzle: how to accommodate the program in a volumetry suited to the context while shaping an open space at the neighborhood scale? The chosen strategy is to gather the program into a compact volume, concentrating most of the recreation areas on the roof. This composition frees up a public square at the foot of the tower, an open space that can be easily crossed and used daily. The extracurricular and public facilities are located on the ground floor, while the gymnasium is semi-buried. At the heart of the plan, a stepped staircase lit from above by an atrium is spatially interwoven with the open cafeteria and the view onto the sports hall below, fostering visual and social interaction among students.

The main stair system unfolds from basement to roof, providing efficient access to the roof terrace, which serves as the school’s principal playground, sheltered by a ring-like canopy that defines its edges as a permeable filter. The distributive core of the plan is built in reinforced concrete, while the classroom floors consist of composite timber–concrete slabs supported by solid wood beams. The building’s thermal envelope, protected from weather, is entirely constructed in wood. The architectural expression of the building is defined by the slender steel columns supporting the external walkways.