From the first glance, the building, entirely made of wood, is intriguing. And when you go through the doors of the main patio, the slide installed in its center is even more surprising. So, what is this school, born in 2022 under the direction of the municipality chaired by Brigitte Terraza (PS) and which receives 250 students, from the small children’s section to CM2?
The idea of creating a new school group to respond to the increase in population of this city, located about fifteen minutes by car from Bordeaux, was announced in 2017. From the beginning, Brigitte Terraza, who underlines the “ecological fiber” which he shares with his municipal team, raises the ambition of designing an establishment that exceeds the minimum expected from an environmental perspective. If the building is ” shell “the Frida-Kahlo project will be more global. That of a school that combats gender stereotypes and creates a close bond between nature, the students and the entire educational team.
Completely made of wood
The “shell”, first. Frida-Kahlo is one of the few schools in France that has E4C2 certification, the highest level of the “Energy Positive and Carbon Reducing Buildings” label, created in 2018 by the Ministry of Housing. It was designed by architect Chloé Bodart, one of the winners of the 10+ 1 Architecture Prize.
The structure is designed entirely in wood, from the cladding to the insulation covered with wood wool, to the games for the children. Photovoltaic panels cover 72% of the school’s electrical needs. Heating and hot water are provided by a wood pellet boiler. “The school consumes half the new standard for an equivalent project and four times less than other school groups in Bruges”explains Brigitte Terraza. Result: if the project exceeds the cost of a traditional school by 12%, with a total budget of 13 million euros, the additional cost has already been compensated thanks to the energy autonomy of the establishment.
Let’s go up to the roof of the school. A garden was set up there, where the students planted seeds. The vegetables produced are included in the meals of those enrolled in after-school classes on Wednesdays and are sometimes distributed to families. The mayor of Bruges, who guides us, points out from below some curious tubes that emerge in the playground. It is a Canadian well system. It draws in outside air, cools it in an underground network (where the average temperature is 12°C) before releasing it into the classrooms. In summer it acts as air conditioning. In winter, this air, this time heated underground, complements the wood boiler. “During the summer of 2022, marked by the heat wave, it was cool in the classrooms before opening to students”recalls the director of the establishment, Karine Junca-Perruchot. A summer also especially marked, in Gironde, by the fires that devastated 30,000 hectares of forest in the department.
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