{"id":9888,"date":"2026-06-26T10:30:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T10:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/?p=9888"},"modified":"2026-06-26T15:08:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:08:08","slug":"sam-architecture-designs-stepped-school-in-nanterre-as-village-at-the-childs-scale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2026\/06\/26\/sam-architecture-designs-stepped-school-in-nanterre-as-village-at-the-childs-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"SAM Architecture designs stepped school in Nanterre as “village at the child’s scale”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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French studio SAM Architecture has created the Yvonne Kerzr\u00e9ho School Complex\u00a0in Nanterre, France<\/a>, arranging classrooms around cascading terraces<\/a> and courtyards that extend learning outdoors.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 4,856-square-metre building accommodates a nursery, primary school, after-school care centre, media library and cafeteria, all within a single facility in Paris’s rapidly developing Les Groues district.<\/p>\n

According to the architect, it was conceived as both a “village at the child’s scale” and a civic landmark for the emerging neighbourhood.<\/p>\n

\"Exterior
SAM Architecture has completed Yvonne Kerzr\u00e9ho School Complex in Nanterre<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking to maximise outdoor space, SAM Architecture<\/a> arranged Yvonne Kerzr\u00e9ho School Complex as a series of staggered volumes that create a network of terraces, courtyards and circulation routes across each level, all of which connect directly to classrooms.<\/p>\n

“We wanted to create a school that would be experienced more as a place to explore than as a closed institution,” the studio\u00a0told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

The stepped form was developed to preserve as much ground-level space as possible while ensuring every floor has direct access to outdoor areas and that educational activities and playtime can spill outdoors.<\/p>\n

\"Side
The building is organised as a series of staggered volumes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“In a dense urban environment, outdoor space is a valuable resource,” the studio said.<\/p>\n

“Rather than concentrating it exclusively at ground level, we chose to distribute it throughout the building.”<\/p>\n

\"Children
Outdoor spaces are distributed across every level of the school<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the heart of the school is a multi-storey atrium<\/a> topped by a butterfly-shaped roof that draws daylight and natural ventilation into the building.<\/p>\n

The atrium features a broad staircase with stepped seating for assemblies, performances and informal gatherings, while circulation walkways and balconies extend around the space, connecting the surrounding levels.<\/p>\n

\"Playground
The project was conceived as a “village at the child’s scale”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“We believe that circulation spaces can become learning environments in their own right,” said SAM Architecture.<\/p>\n

“The staircase, bleachers, semi-circular seating areas and small gathering spaces distributed throughout the building allow pupils to meet, exchange ideas, work together or simply observe the life of the school.”<\/p>\n

\"Timber
A broad staircase provides seating for assemblies and informal gatherings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The architects said these shared spaces are intended to encourage encounters between pupils of different age groups, reinforcing the idea of the school as a small community rather than a series of isolated classrooms.<\/p>\n

Inside Yvonne Kerzr\u00e9ho School Complex, exposed timber surfaces are paired with concrete structural elements, creating what the architects describe as “a balance between durability and carbon reduction.”<\/p>\n