Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes

Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Image 2 of 20Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Exterior Photography, Facade, WindowsEcole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Interior Photography, Living Room, ArchEcole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Image 5 of 20Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - More Images+ 15

  • Architects: Plò architectes
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  700
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Florence Vesval
  • Lead Architects: Frédéric Ilardi, Eric Baffie, Romain Verdet
  • Design Team: Plò architectes
  • City: Cagnes-sur-Mer
  • Country: France
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Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Image 2 of 20
© Florence Vesval

Text description provided by the architects. Plò architectes is a firm focusing its work on interventions in the historic centers of the Provence region in France, whether through the rehabilitation of deteriorated buildings, the creation of public spaces, or urban-scale studies. The studio’s projects aim to demonstrate the relevance of these typologies in addressing today’s and tomorrow’s ecological and climate challenges.

Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Exterior Photography, Facade, Windows
© Florence Vesval
Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Image 18 of 20
Axonometry
Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Florence Vesval

This project aims to revitalize the Vieux Bourg school in Cagnes-sur-Mer by merging the existing buildings with the neighboring bourgeois villa, the Maison Blacas. We seek to show that adapting old buildings to modern uses can create desirable and eco-friendly environments. We have aligned the floor levels and optimized vertical circulation to ensure accessibility. The central courtyard serves the common spaces (dining hall, library, multipurpose room) and extends into a garden, thus preserving the unity of the school complex. We created warm, inviting spaces by maximizing the site’s qualities. For example, a vaulted cellar becomes the school’s library, and the classrooms are generously opened with large windows framing views of the Mediterranean.

Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Interior Photography, Living Room, Arch
© Florence Vesval
Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Interior Photography, Dining room, Table, Windows, Chair
© Florence Vesval
Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Image 19 of 20
Plan
Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Interior Photography, Beam
© Florence Vesval

Our project offers an innovative and respectful vision of urban rehabilitation, breathing new life into neglected heritage while meeting the contemporary needs of its users. The use of materials recovered on-site is at the heart of our approach. We reused brick cladding tiles, cement tiles as wall ceramics, and historical elements such as millstones turned into tables and window sills repurposed as stair steps. This approach promotes a unique environment that respects the past.

Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Image 5 of 20
© Florence Vesval

In terms of thermal performance, we focused primarily on summer comfort, which is crucial in the Côte d’Azur with its mild winters. This is why we favored hemp-lime plaster instead of traditional insulation for the exterior walls. We sought to adorn the spaces with local, bio-sourced materials or those outside the standard industrial catalogs. The floors are terracotta, and the ceilings are made of wood fiber.

Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes - Image 6 of 20
© Florence Vesval

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Project location

Address:Cagnes-sur-Mer, France

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Ecole du Vieux Bourg / Plò architectes" 10 Sep 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1020966/ecole-du-vieux-bourg-plo-architectes> ISSN 0719-8884

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