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École de l’Étincelle (Lab-École, Saguenay)
By : Agence Spatiale + APPAREIL Architecture + BGLA
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Public Building / School & Preschool Education Building : Platinum Winner
Located in Chicoutimi, Saguenay, l’école de l’Étincelle is a shining example of architecture firmly rooted in its context. The architectural approach rethinks the conventional school and proposes a scale that is friendly, accessible, and reassuring for children. Fragmented into small houses around a central courtyard, the architecture becomes familiar and warm, creating a calming and reassuring atmosphere that encourages students to love school and feel comfortable, just like at home.
The school’s silhouette blends with the residential landscape and reflects Saguenay’s northern nature and is made entirely of locally sourced wood. Inside the school, three distinct wings delineate its different functions.
The street-facing wing includes staff rooms on the ground floor and preschool classrooms on the level below.
The central section transforms the traditional library into a community learning hub. This wing was designed to be open outside school hours, making the building accessible to the community. In the middle, bleachers serve as a space for gathering and collaboration. They act as a landmark for the children, providing visual links to all the common spaces. Next to the learning hub is the Creative Lab: a multi-purpose space equipped with the latest creations and technological trends. Its direct link to the Learning Hub’s library means that children can feed their research with resources at their fingertips. This series of collective spaces is completed by the Culinary Lab, which is visually linked to the Creative Lab as well as to the treetops of the park at the rear of the building. Harvests from the garden will be brought in the fully equipped kitchen to be cooked and shared with other students and the community.
Three sloped roof cottages create small, home-like schools within the building. Collaborative spaces in the middle of each classroom mimic public squares, encouraging mutual support and teaching students to work as a team. Their orientation in the landscape ensures that all classrooms benefit from northern light.
The chalet, a distinctive part of the program, serves as a dedicated space for young individuals with special needs, fostering socio-affective development. Resembling a home with a living room, kitchen, and dining area, it’s where meaningful conversations, trust-building, social skill development, and growth occur.
Sun-drenched interstices between cottages create pathways that open into the courtyard, fostering social interaction, curiosity, and nurturing students’ independence.
The landscaping extends the learning space beyond the walls of the school. Designed for Saguenay’s northern climate, it sits within the school’s U-shaped structure. It provides a secure area for various activities: sports, outdoor learning, sheltered recreation, gardening, and both individual and group play spaces.
The school is a brilliant example of efficient energy use. The strong technical architecture allowed for smaller capacity systems. These are more sustainable and have lower operating costs. The entire building is temperature-controlled through centralized air-source heat pumps. Combined with hot and cold hydronic radiant floors, this ensures comfort throughout all months of school occupancy. Fresh air circulates through a displacement ventilation system, integrated directly into the architecture. The school aims for LEED V4 certification, which recognizes efforts in energy performance and reducing the ecological footprint.
Collaboration
Architect : APPAREIL architecture
Architect : BGLA architecture + Design urbain
