A resolutely republican approach.
At the heart of the new Échat district, the city of Créteil wanted a mixed and ambitious program for block 8, consisting of housing, offices, and, above all, new public facilities structured around two schools and a nursery.
The presence of a school complex, made necessary by the increase in the number of residents expected to move to the Triangle de l’Échat, will contribute to the emergence of a family-oriented neighborhood life and help build a new identity.
The aim here is to create life as much as to create a city. Since ancient times, schools have been beacons within the city. Today, they serve as urban landmarks symbolizing the republican spirit. The chosen location—at the top of Rue Jean Esquirol on the southeast corner of the block—is resolutely oriented toward the city, offering excellent visibility to the complex and positioning the facility within the public space in a welcoming and identifiable way.
The volumetric and spatial organization of the project fits perfectly into a master plan complemented by residential buildings. Particular attention has been paid to the connections between the buildings, which are linked at the heart of the block by careful urban stitching to ensure the formal coherence of the block’s interior voids.
The block is envisaged as a fragment of the city made up of small residential units maintaining neighborly relations. This implies respect for privacy and the sharing of common rules to create a neighborhood and enjoy together the landscaped amenities that will shape the development of the block interiors, in order to create the conditions for living together without imposing them.
