Located along the Route de Schirmeck, the Erckmann Chatrian school complex has constantly evolved to meet demographic needs and educational policies, until it has lost its original coherence. Its intrinsic qualities – a long covered courtyard irrigating the various buildings, vast courtyards and classrooms to the south, distributed by a circulation to the north – have been erased to the point where only its shortcomings can be seen: a lack of public status on the scale of the district, a lack of architectural coherence, totally mineral courtyards and, finally, a very disorganized general appearance.

The new kindergarten premises are housed in a two-storey square building measuring 28.60 m on each side, set in the southwest corner of the plot. The choice of this simple shape is decisive: it brings clarity and radicalism to the whole. The square offers the best ratio between facade and floor area. This reduces the project’s footprint and preserves the existing trees. The structural scheme offers total reversibility of functional spaces throughout the life of the building.

The kindergarten extension combines wood (timber-framed walls and stained wood cladding, joisted floors, exterior and interior joinery), which has the lowest carbon footprint, and masonry (concrete compression slab and reused bricks) for thermal inertia, acoustic comfort and fire stability. The proximity of the Schirmeck road led us to consider a unique natural ventilation system. To avoid having to open windows close to this busy road, we integrated ventilation chimneys in each classroom.