The Collège Simone Veil in Lamballe, France consists of two separate buildings. The long rectilinear cuboid rests on a gently curved base that blends harmoniously into the silhouette of the rolling hills.
The choice of materials respects the environment, as does the requirement for durability and low operating and maintenance costs. The dominant materials are wood and glass.
Glazed sections of the façade ensure optimal lighting of the rooms with daylight. Consistent transparency is also evident in the interior of the main building. Large, filigree fire-rated partition walls in wooden frames made of Pilkington Pyrostop® Line fire-resistant glass EI30 and EI60 according to EN 13501-2 with frameless butt joints provide a view into the classrooms.
The wide arch of the fully glazed base structure includes an entrance hall, a covered playground, special rooms, a multi-purpose room and a canteen. The rooms are designed in an open plan to encourage collaboration and communication.
Two equal, single-glazed partition walls made of fire-resistant glass separate rooms and corridors and protect escape routes. Two glass types: Pilkington Pyrostop® Line 30-600 (18 mm thick) and Pilkington Pyrostop® Line 60-603 OW (27 mm thick) guarantee fire resistance respectively of 30 or 60 minutes. In addition to reliable protection against fire and smoke, in the event of fire they also act as a protective shield against the penetration of heat radiation to the other side of the glass, i.e., thermally insulate towards the corridor. They are installed in a wood fire protection system that has been tested and approved for the French market.
With this type of glass at Collège, Simone Veil achieved an aesthetic solution with no visible edge sealing system and no vertical frames between the individual panes. A special feature is the very filigree butt joint (≤ 5 mm), which allows for an unlimited appearance of the entire glass. Pilkington Pyrostop® Line single glazed fire-resistant glass is also laminated safety glass according to EN 14449.
In 2020 the architecture of the building received Prix Architecture Espaces Bretagne in the category Education.