The construction of the new Gambsheim nursery and after-school care centre aims to meet the town’s needs for new childcare facilities. Our approach is to make the school site an interface at the edge of the town, linking the heart of the suburban neighbourhood with the sports field and its facilities on the terrain below. A gentle northsouth crossing of the site enables this transition. The project as a whole has a familiar and reassuring archetypal style, reminiscent of the home, but also of the suburban environment. Our choice of construction system and envelope favours flexibility and modularity of space. It is a simple, rational layout that makes it easy to build an extension within the same volume, hence opening up the possibilities.

The chosen construction system provides a rational and logical response to the various technical constraints of the site, while expressing virtuous architecture, bringing out each material’s specific attributes. The solid masonry base is anchored to the ground. This allows a simple installation of the wooden superstructure, while enabling its expandability. In addition, the concrete core at the centre of the project provides horizontal resistance, as well good thermal performance provided by its inertia. This simple construction system also facilitates the use of robust, high-quality materials, ensuring the project stands the test of time.