School architecture requires the creation of specific spaces which are for both living in and teaching in. At the heart of the Landes pine forest (South West France), Saint Geours Middle School is a reasonably-sized, scalable establishment, where movement is fluid and views across the landscape are favoured.

© Vincent Monthiers

Architects: Patrick Arotcharen architecte

Location: 40230 Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, France

Architects In Charge: Patrick Arotcharen, Orane Garrigos

Area: 6080.0 m2

Project Year: 2012

Photographs: Vincent Monthiers , Mathieu Choiselat

© Vincent Monthiers

School architecture requires the creation of specific spaces which are for both living in and teaching in. At the heart of the Landes pine forest (South West France), Saint Geours Middle School is a reasonably-sized, scalable establishment, where movement is fluid and views across the landscape are favoured.
© Vincent Monthiers

Facing the forest, the plan stretches from east to west and places the two functional centres on both sides of a vast covered courtyard, which synchronises the whole composition. More than just an unoccupied space on the plan, the entrance-courtyard forms the heart of the school and is identified by a wooden canopy: the poles, with their umbrella structures, the different ways they are set up and their height variations, mark the space with an aerial graphic design and th...