French architectural studios Bond Society and Daudré-Vignier & Associés designed a wooden school on three principal notions: spatial quality, functionality and sustainable demand.

The elementary school, named after author and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, consists of ten classes, a leisure centre, and a school restaurant. This project takes the form of two wooden quadrilaterals placed on a limestone plinth, largely glazed on the courtyard side and closed at the rear on the public space side. The building has an L-shape to provide optimal free floor space.

The solid wood structure sits on a masonry plinth and is located in front of the existing kindergarten. The project also provides classrooms designed with the most favourable orientation to the west and onto the playground.

The wooden structure is justified in three ways; wood is a renewable material and absorbs CO2 while it grows; using wood to build helps the forestry industry and provides an alternative to concrete; and finally, it can be prefabricated to increase the speed of the building process and the precision. The wood is locally sourced in France, while the stone is from Vassens.

Located in Drancy, the school’s largely glazed ground floor forms a “center of life”. It is a place of education, social life, and interactions, extending the space beyond its simple teaching function.

For more interesting wooden architecture and why building with wood is a good idea, check out MaterialDistrict’s book Tomorrow’s Timber (also available in Dutch as De Houtbouw Revolutie).

Photos: Charly Broyez (via v2com)