Philippe Gazeau Architecte Urbaniste

Anne de Bretagne Secondary School

Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault

Anne de Bretagne Secondary School

Philippe Gazeau

ARCHITECTS
Philippe Gazeau 

MANUFACTURERS
Alucoil, Isosta

CLIENT
Loire Atlantique County Council

PHOTOGRAPHS
Philippe Ruault

COST
€11,344,346 Ex-vat

AREA
6443 M²

YEAR
2014

LOCATION
Saint-herblain, France

CATEGORY
Schools

Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault

Text description provided by architect.

West of Nantes, the new Collège Anne de Bretagne secondary school at St-Herblain stands out in the location as a feature linking a town park, various neighbouring public utilities and the Loire valley landscape.

Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault

The project fits into the site through an irregular base dressed in timber powerfully set into the slightly sloping land.

This rough ground floor bears a much simpler looping figure that tapers on the upper floor housing the classrooms.

Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault

The base blends in with the immediate vicinity while the upstairs area looks out over the landscape further afield.

The tentacular ground floor serves as the entrance leading to all the site’s outside areas both public and private connected to the school’s common and administrative areas.

Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault

On the upper floor housing all the classrooms, the circular layout around patios makes finding one’s way extremely straightforward and obvious.

On the outside, a sunscreen device made up of coloured glass panels perpendicular to the frontage clad in reflective stainless steel offers passive shading on the front of the classrooms, recreating a rainbow effect, thereby giving the school its hallmark brightly shining image.

Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault

The entire unit forms a kinetic ribbon brought to life by the play of colours, reflections and transparency, extending into the interior areas, drawn from an aesthetic of functional, effective good looks.


Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
© Philippe Ruault


Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
Section
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
Section


Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
Floor Plan
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
Floor Plan


Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
Detail
Anne de Bretagne Secondary School
Site Plan

Philippe Gazeau Architecte Urbaniste
T +33 1 44619630
Philippe Gazeau Architecte Urbaniste
72 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris, France