Le Taillan-Médoc, France

Designed by Europe 40 Under 40 laureate Yvain Renard, the new Nursery school in Le TaillanMédoc returns the north’s establishment to reconnect it to the public spaces that serve the other educational facilities located nearby.

Yvain Renard was recently awarded a 2020 European 40 Under 40 Award from The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum.

A vast meadow, provided with a remarkable old pines wood, is crossed to reach a covered square which gives access to the new hall from the street.

The extension defines a patio, open on one side, designed as a “contained recreational space” that extends two new classrooms.

The facades integrate skewed windows, which give children to see the landscape differently.

The geometry of these openings is emphasized by wooden sunshades, which were cut from the pines of the site, the felling of which was made necessary by implementing the project.

For this project, a participatory process for children was initiated. As regards toddlers, several propositions were made to them on points of detail (colors, furniture materials, etc.), the choice being made friendly by show of hands.

So, the project became a support for learning to take ownership of the place, and an element of connection between the children, the teachers, and the architect, with a democratic sense.

Project: “Behind the pines”, Nursery school in Le Taillan-Médoc
Architects: Yvain Renard Architecte
Client: Le Taillan-Médoc City Hall