Architecture School Montpellier Renovation / Maignial Architectes & Associés

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Text description provided by the architects.TheMontpellierArchitecture School, situated in the Plan des 4 Seigneurs district, has undergone a significant transformation to embrace ecological priorities. The renovation project serves as a model of responsible architecture and an educational tool, aiming to balance heritage preservation with eco-friendly adaptations. Originally built in 1970, the school has seen various alterations, some in harmony with the original design and others not. In today's context, ecological transitions are crucial not only in architecture but across society. The project aimed to integrate architectural rehabilitation with thermal renovation, preserving the existing while accompanying the building in its ecological transition.The initial facade only included glazing elements and radiators. The active facade solution implemented in the project offers a new approach. The objective is to optimize the façade by adding many functions such as insulation, air treatment, heating, cooling, and sun protection; Radiators are replaced by fan coils to combine heating, cooling, and air treatment functions; The glazing, according to their orientation, includes mini blinds to control solar contributions; The mullions between vaults are equipped with "flap", small opening protected by a grid, allowing natural ventilation and night ventilation. These spaces also hide heating and cooling networks. The active facade is innovative in two points; It concentrates several functions in one element and reduces the carbon impact of the whole, It incorporates an innovative IMMOBLADE glazing system that allows the control of sunrays over the entire year.The glazing incorporates mini blinds: the miniaturized blind blades, optimally inclined, are directly integrated into double glazing. The geometry of the blades optimizes sun protection with maximum visibility from inside the building. Thus, the fruit of the iterative reflection of the project management to find the point of balance of all the stakes of the project, the active facade allows the building to change the century. To ensure effective use of these innovations, a user manual has been created for students, teachers, and staff. This guide explains the different operation scenarios for ventilation, temperature control, and other systems, emphasizing the balance between comfort and energy efficiency depending on the season. Overall, this project marks a significant shift toward sustainable and educational architecture, inviting its users to interact in new ways with the building and its systems.The primary aim is to reduce energy consumption by at least 60% and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve this, they've developed seasonal scenarios for energy usage: one for summer and another for winter. In winter, only enclosed spaces like offices and classrooms are heated, with hot air transfers tempering larger areas. In summer, over-ventilation at night and ceiling fans maintain a comfortable environment. A renovation of such a scale, could not be confined to the only energy response. The question of energy savings must also allow an architectural renovation that is both parsimonious and profound to restore certain strong elements, hidden under previous interventions on the original building.