Primary and Secondary School Complex Les Lavandières

At the entrance to the Notre-Dame neighborhood, a stone's throw from the center of Pontoise, a former group of buildings—the Chamber of Commerce, the Maison Pierre, and the old Post Office—are preparing to experience a second life. The project envisions a genuine educational piece of city, a place where children, families, teachers, and residents cross paths daily.

The main building, constructed in the 1980s and recognizable by its angular, almost futuristic architecture, becomes the heart of a twelve-classroom school complex. Rather than erasing its identity, the project chooses to extend it: a new metal skin, rhythmic vertical lines, a redesigned skyline... everything contributes to establishing the building in an assertive modernity.

The journey begins on a large forecourt, conceived as a unifying space. It articulates the three buildings on the site and naturally guides towards the school entrance. Behind this forecourt, the elementary courtyard opens up, animated by an elevated canopy, a stage, tiered seating and a playground. Further south, a right of way is reimagined to preserve the tranquility of the neighborhood while streamlining access.

Near the public parking lot redesigned in phases, a dedicated entrance welcomes the youngest children from kindergarten, while a discreet delivery area ensures the operation of the school cafeteria. The rest of the site unfolds between biodiversity spaces and reorganized parking.

Within the main building, the organization tells a story of true pedagogical ascension. The ground floor welcomes the youngest children, along with administrative spaces, dining facilities, and the multipurpose hall. The first floor, accessed by a monumental staircase created within a triple-height space, houses the older preschool sections, the library, and two "connecting" rooms that ensure the transition to elementary school. The latter occupies the entire second level, like a symbolic summit before moving on to other horizons.

Around this educational heart, the two heritage buildings reclaim their place in the neighborhood's life. The Pierre House becomes a recreation center opening onto the elementary courtyard, while the former Post Office houses a community room and a caretaker's apartment, carefully rehabilitated with respect for its character.

The entire project is based on simple and robust construction principles: exposed concrete, reinforced insulation, sun shades, polycarbonate canopies, restored stone facades. Particular attention is paid to environmental quality: water management, recyclable materials, thermal comfort, natural lighting, clean construction site and communication with local residents.

This project does more than transform buildings: it recomposes a living space, an educational and social landscape where architecture supports uses, pathways and encounters. A piece of city that reinvents itself to welcome future generations.