The extension project for the Le Chenit primary and secondary school is part of a strategy to centralize educational facilities within the Vallée de Joux. Located on the “Chez-le-Maître” site, the project involves the partial demolition of existing buildings and the construction of a new structure connected to the current school, ensuring functional and spatial continuity throughout the school complex.

The programme combines sports facilities and educational spaces. The ground floor mainly accommodates sports facilities, including a gymnasium, a proprioception room and a dojo, as well as a dining hall. The basement is dedicated to changing rooms, technical rooms and a gymnastics hall. The upper floors accommodate the educational spaces, comprising fifteen classrooms and six specialized teaching rooms designed to meet current and future educational requirements.

The structural design is based on a rational and sustainable approach, highlighting the use of locally sourced timber from communal forests. The structure combines a reinforced concrete base, including the basement, the foundation raft, vertical circulation cores and selected walls, with a glued laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) superstructure for the upper floors. The timber floors consist of joists combined with CLT panels, operating as a composite section and supplemented with gravel ballast to achieve the required acoustic performance.

The load-bearing system relies on reinforced concrete shear walls and a timber frame, ensuring efficient load transfer. Horizontal stability is provided by the reinforced concrete cores together with bracing systems, particularly within the façades spanning the large gymnasium areas.

The façades, developed in accordance with the structural system, express a restrained architectural language inspired by the valley’s industrial character and watchmaking heritage. The repetition of façade elements creates a regular rhythm reminiscent of industrial production buildings. Raw materials such as timber and steel reinforce the project’s simple and functional expression.

Project implementation involves significant earthworks, with an excavation volume of approximately 24,000 m³. Retaining structures consist of soil-nailed walls and Berlin-type retaining walls in constrained areas, while embankment slopes are formed where site conditions permit.