Hélène Carrère D'Encausse School / Archi5 + Bureau FaceB

Architects: archi5, bureau faceB
Area: 3,164 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: Louis Duboys Fresney
Design Team: archi5, bureau faceB
Landscape Architecture: ZB Paysages
Engineering & Consulting: Alma Consulting
City/Location: Marly
Country: France

The Hélène Carrère d’Encausse School in Marly consolidates nursery and primary education within a single campus structured by landscape and civic presence. Designed by archi5 in collaboration with bureau faceB, the project replaces two former schools with a unified facility located at one of the town’s main entrances. The architecture is organized as an extension of the surrounding park, using a curvilinear plan to shape classrooms and shared spaces around outdoor areas. Materially, a mineral base establishes a strong relationship with the public realm, while a lighter wooden upper volume emphasizes environmental performance and integration with nature. Landscape design is central to the project, incorporating playgrounds, shaded courtyards, and planted roofs that support learning through contact with the natural environment. Together, architecture and landscape express a municipal ambition to align educational infrastructure with ecological responsibility and long-term urban renewal.

Hélène carrère d'encausse school / archi5 + bureau faceb

The first architectural gesture of the school is its role as an urban marker. Positioned at a gateway to Marly, the building announces a new phase of development while remaining deeply rooted in its green context. The project translates the political decision to merge the Nelson Mandela and Louise Michel schools into a shared architectural identity that emphasizes cohesion rather than hierarchy.

The plan is structured around two gently curving branches that extend from opposite directions and converge toward the center of the park. This configuration mirrors the daily movement of pupils and establishes a clear spatial logic that is both intuitive and symbolic. At their junction, the building organizes circulation and shared functions, reinforcing the idea of encounter and collective life.

This convergence also shapes the outdoor spaces, dividing the southern part of the site into two playgrounds corresponding to nursery and primary students. The separation allows age-specific activities to unfold independently while maintaining visual continuity across the campus. The arrangement ensures that openness and protection coexist, supporting both supervision and freedom of movement.

The relationship between the school and its surroundings is carefully calibrated. Curves and counter-curves articulate the facades and guide transitions between interior and exterior spaces, creating a protective environment without withdrawing from the city. The building engages the public realm at ground level while cultivating a quieter, inward-facing atmosphere for children.

Material choices reinforce this dual condition. A concrete base clad in mineral brick anchors the building to the ground and conveys permanence, while a wooden upper level with wood fiber facades and insulation introduces lightness and thermal efficiency. The contrast enhances the perception of a school embedded within trees, balancing solidity and openness.

Landscape design extends the educational experience beyond the classroom. Park development, shaded playgrounds, courtyards, and rooftop vegetable gardens establish nature as an active component of daily learning. Through this integration of architecture, landscape, and pedagogy, the project articulates a vision of public education grounded in shared heritage, environmental awareness, and collective renewal.