A high school is like a small estate made up of work, recreation, leisure, encounter and shared places. The access as streets, squares provides perspectives that give life to the estate. The new International High School project east of Paris, planned within this urban context, is located within an exceptional site distinguished by three scales of landscape:

– The vast landscape of the district and distant views. The idea to raise the volume creates a horizontal frame that emerged just as the development of a sequenced, view point entrance overlooking Greater Paris. 

– The Marne la Vallée urban landscape composed of different yet often heterogeneous neighbourhoods. The intention was to develop an imposing volume, a cube devoid of any stylistic intent, stable within the perspective. 

– The immediate landscape of a planted steep slope. With landscaped terraces, the introspective high school found its place attached to the functions shared with the boarding school (dining, sports hall,…).

Data Sheet

Architect

Ateliers 2/3/4/

Architect in charge at 2/3/4/: Jean Mas

Location

Noisy-le-Grand and Bry-sur-Marne

Client

Région Ile de France/SAERP

Engineering Consultancy

Engineering Consultancy and Cost Control: Mizrahi

HQE Consultant: Éléments Ingénieries

Kitchen Consultant: Conceptic’Art

Acoustics Consultant: Peutz et Associés

Project type
High School with international sections (Chinese, American, Brazilian, Arabian) to accommodate 800 students
82-room student accommodation (150 beds)
10 staff accommodation units

Delivery

June 2016

Built areas

13 800m² including High School: 8 986m², Student Accommodation 3 764m², Staff Accommodation 1 052m²

Energy performance
Effinergie Plus certification for student accommodation
NF tertiary building certification – zero energy level, HQE certification 
Bepos certification (high school) application

Photo credits: LucBoegly

ArchiDesignClub Awards 2017 for the International High School of East Paris, in High School Buildings category.

Ateliers 2/3/4/

Since 2000, 2/3/4/ unites the experience of three French firms that, since the early 1980s, have paid particular attention to new lifestyles that demand a return to simplicity and the basics.

2/3/4/ defends the luxury of a “lifestyle” that seeks out “well-being”. Made to measure, each project is the opportunity for a study that makes it unique whether in terms of sustainable development, typology or construction system.

Just as the glassblower, 2/3/4/ buildings take their shape from the inside.

Like clothes, their envelopes protect without restricting movement. Like a landscape, they change over time.

Even before the selection of construction materials, 2/3/4/ favours the only readily available raw material: light.

2/3/4/ believes “density” is the major component of the city.