The Yvonne Kerzrého School Complex, designed by French studio SAM Architecture, challenges conventional school design by treating architecture as an active part of education. Located in Nanterre, France, the 4,856-square-metre campus brings together a nursery, primary school, after-school care centre, media library, and cafeteria within a series of stepped volumes that dissolve the boundary between indoor and outdoor learning.
Conceived as a “village at the child’s scale” and a civic landmark for the emerging Les Groues district, the project transforms terraces, courtyards, and shared spaces into places for exploration, interaction, and discovery.
Stepped Architecture Expands Learning
Instead of concentrating outdoor areas at ground level, SAM Architecture distributed them throughout the building using cascading terraces and interconnected courtyards that connect directly to classrooms. The staggered composition preserves valuable open space within the dense urban site while allowing lessons, play, and everyday activities to unfold across multiple levels.
Designed to be experienced as a place of exploration and not just a closed institution, the school encourages children to move freely between learning environments and the landscape.
A Light-Filled Atrium
A multi-storey atrium sits at the heart of the complex, capped by a butterfly-shaped roof that introduces natural daylight and ventilation deep into the building. Its broad staircase doubles as amphitheatre seating for assemblies, performances, and informal gatherings, while surrounding balconies and circulation routes foster spontaneous interaction.
By transforming circulation into places for collaboration, observation, and exchange, the design strengthens connections between pupils of different age groups and reinforces the school’s identity as a cohesive community.
Material Honesty
The interiors combine exposed timber with robust concrete structural elements, balancing carbon-conscious construction with long-term durability. Timber is used where it can weather gracefully, while concrete is reserved for areas requiring greater resilience. Exposed structural and mechanical systems also reveal how the building works, turning the architecture itself into a learning tool.
The stepped composition culminates in a rooftop terrace shaded by photovoltaic canopies and an open-air theatre beneath the butterfly roof, extending educational and communal spaces to the skyline.
Photography by Salem Mostefaoui
