d’houndt+bajart clads school canteen in snakeskin brickwork

d’houndt+bajart clads school canteen in snakeskin brickwork
image © julien lanoo
all images courtesy of d’houndt + bajart architectes

designed to relate to the size and scale of neighboring buildings, a school canteen in lille, france uses patterned brickwork to clad the structure in a snakeskin jacket. designed by d’houndt + bajart architectes, the project seeks to instill a sense of fun and vibrancy, delivering a message of imagination to the scheme’s young occupants. as well as forming an identifiable landmark building for the region, the structure creates a link between the kindergarten and the elementary school – both part of the léon blum scholar group.

situated on a corner plot, the restaurant’s parapet gently ascends, hiding on-site technical equipment
image © julien lanoo

situated on a corner plot, the restaurant’s parapet gently ascends, hiding on-site technical equipment and freeing the ground floor. the building’s façades appear as an organic membrane, forming a protective boundary that ensures internal volumes are both calm and private. an educational vegetable garden, set within an an internal courtyard, contains a green wall of bamboo, while replanted trees are positioned on a long narrow strip of land at the southern edge of the plot.

the building’s façades appear as an organic membrane – forming a protective boundary
image © julien lanoo

the project seeks to instill a sense of fun and vibrancy
image © julien lanoo

the scheme is designed to relate to the size and scale of neighboring buildings
image © julien lanoo

the school canteen viewed from the passing street
image © julien lanoo

an educational vegetable garden, set within an an internal courtyard, contains a green wall of bamboo
image © julien lanoo

brightly lit dining space
image © julien lanoo

the structure creates a link between the kindergarten and the elementary school
image © julien lanoo

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project info:

location: lille-lomme, france
mission: construction of a catering office for paul bert and léon blum scholar group
client: commune associée de lomme – lille (associate community of lomme-lille)
project management:
d’houndt+bajart architectes & associates, architects (tourcoing)
KHEOPS engineering, BET (department of technical studies / bureau d’etudes techniques) fluids and electricity (lille)
beha legrand, bet (department of technical studies / bureau d’etudes techniques) collective kitchens and hygiene (lille)
BSE economie, economist (loos)
program: school restaurant
surface area: 417 sqm
calendar: 2012-2014
cost: 1m €ht