Paul Langevin, Jean-Jacques Rousseau school - Villiers-le-Bel

The project is located in the heart of a neighbourhood currently undergoing extensive urban renewal. This area, on the outskirts of the city centre and close to major transport routes, is characterised by large social housing estates built in the second half of the 20th century.
Today, these neighbourhoods are densely populated and socially and culturally diverse, but they also suffer from urban fragility: poor connections with neighbouring centres, poorly structured public spaces and a lack of clear pedestrian routes. The built environment, consisting mainly of apartment buildings, is dotted with essential public facilities such as schools, a media library and a community centre. In this context, the school complex plays a central role, not only as an educational facility, but also as a unifying force, promoting sociability and interaction.
Its renovation and/or reconstruction is a major opportunity to:
– Requalify the urban landscape and enhance the attractiveness of the neighbourhood,
– Reorganise traffic flows, improving pedestrian links and landscape continuity,
– Provide open, inclusive and bright learning spaces, adapted to contemporary teaching methods,
– Affirm the school’s presence as a civic and identity landmark.

The project offers high-quality landscaping, is environmentally efficient and blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, providing suitable urban connections while applying ecological criteria such as water management, increased tree cover and the creation of high-quality public spaces.
At the heart of the neighbourhood, the facilities hub creates an urban breathing space, a peaceful bubble in continuity with Place Lalo, where car traffic is deliberately limited. This frees up a space for strong reappropriation, supported by the assertive presence of vegetation.
The project proposes a measured extension, allowing the entire primary school programme to be integrated into a single volume. This layout respects the plot boundaries while preserving the existing outdoor spaces and the quality of sunlight in the courtyards. The volumetric addition is compact, optimising built areas and energy performance. This targeted intervention makes it possible to adapt and complete the interior organisation of the spaces while respecting the general structure of the existing building. The new volume is a controlled continuation of the existing building. It houses the service areas so that the classrooms can take full advantage of the generous existing openings.