École primaire Val-David

Discipline : Architecture

Categories : Other categories in architecture / Concept & Unbuilt : Silver certification

Here, nature is everywhere. There are forests, rivers, and even trails that seem to never end. It's calm, peaceful, far from the noise of the city. My family and I live in Val-David, a beautiful village where my friends live and where I am fortunate to go to school.

But beware, this is not a school like the others. The adults say they designed it, that they chose every wall, every window, but it's as if it grew there, naturally, like a giant tree sprung from our imagination. It was designed for us, the children, so that we can learn while staying connected to nature, the seasons, and our community.

A SCHOOL THAT FEELS LIKE HOME

In the morning, I love arriving and seeing the large windows. They let in the light, and through them, we can see the mountains, the trees, and sometimes the snow gently falling while we work.

The school is modern, but it seems as if it has always been there. Its wooden structure seems to thank the forest. The stone walls are a bit rough, like the rocks of the Condor and Césaire mountains that we see in the distance. It exudes the warmth of the surrounding trees, and its roofs adapted to our winters reflect the light of the landscape.

THE IMAGINARY TREE

The school is built around a tree, a huge tree, invisible to the eyes of grown-ups, but one we feel as soon as we set foot here. The pavilions follow its roots: the first one hosts the community spaces: multipurpose room, art room, cafeteria. The next two are the classrooms, organized by cycles, so we can learn together, at our own pace. The last one is dedicated to movement: gymnasium and motor skills room. There, we run, jump, laugh, learn to love moving.

In the center, the heart of the project: the adults say "the library," but I see a perched cabin, like a nest, and I know it's the heart of the hidden tree.

A PLACE DESIGNED FOR THE PLANET

The adults say our school is beautiful and smart. It blends into the landscape thanks to wood, a local, renewable material with a low carbon footprint. That helps the planet and supports the local economy. The wood is showcased in the living areas, where beams and columns create a warm atmosphere. The gymnasium extends this atmosphere with its exposed beams.

A PLACE TO GROW, DREAM, CREATE

This school is much more than a building. It's a place where we grow, not just in size, but also in ideas, curiosity, and respect for what surrounds us. Sometimes, I feel that when we imagine something new, the school's tree grows a little more. Even if no one sees it, its branches reach towards the sky, and its roots anchor even more firmly in our village, our culture, and our stories. When we grow up, when we might forget how to be small, it will still be there, hidden within us, like a cabin we've never really left.

The project in images