Early Childhood Center in Versonnex, France by Clermont Architectes

Article source: Clermont Architectes

Construction of a structure dedicated to the young children

The site of the Maison de la Petite Enfance (early childhood center) is located in the commune of Versonnex (Pays de Gex). This region of the Lake Geneva, a few kilometers away from Geneva , is experiencing a profound mutation: what used to be a rural area is now turning into a zone of urbanized densification – which is not always well-managed.

Exterior View (Images Courtesy Daniel Osso)

• Architect: Clermont Architectes
• Name of Project: Early Childhood Center
• Location: Versonnex, France
• Client: Communauté de Communes du Pays de Gex
• Engineers: Bem Ingénierie – Fluitec – SJA
• Economist: Cosinus
• Photograph: Daniel Osso
• Materials/products used in this project: Translucent PV panels, Wood siding and structure (larch), Tiles, Zinc

The presence of numerous trees and great meadows is the vestige of the former agrarian structure of the Pays de Gex. The Maison de la Petite Enfance is now located on the border between residential urbanized areas and rural landscapes.

Side View (Images Courtesy Daniel Osso)

The Maison de la Petite Enfance is linear, horizontal, emphasizing the Jura mountains in the background. The building marks the border between urbanization and rural landscapes, and forms the beginning of a future public area with the nearby communal house.

Night View (Images Courtesy Daniel Osso)

The inclined tile roof, imposed by the urbanism regulation, was also crucial in the conception of the project. Reflection was conducted in order to avoid any neo-rural or backward-looking connotation.

Images Courtesy Daniel Osso

Conceived as the very simple image of a shelter for young children, the building is characterized by its two parallel roofs. This simple general shape brings together a feeling of finesse and the compactness required for the building in order to achieve the desired thermal performances.

Images Courtesy Daniel Osso

The plantation of local tree species (notably deciduous broad-leaved trees) allows the project to be a part of the wooded environment and plays an important role in dealing with the solar gain.

Interior View (Images Courtesy Daniel Osso)

Indoors, the repetition of a single-framed farm’s structure (every 1,80m) marks the different spaces. In the main areas, the framing reaches its full height. This repetition of the structure has enabled the adjustments of precise assembly details participating in the architectural definition of interior decoration.

Interior View (Images Courtesy Daniel Osso)

This building was awarded a prize in the PREBAT challenge (prototype building with low energy consumption) organized by the ADEME (a French agency for the environment preservation)

Interior View (Images Courtesy Daniel Osso)

RDC Plan

Tags: France, Versonnex

Category: Care Center

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