Maison de l’Enfance et de l’Adolescence contest

Project

How does one design a building for children and adolescents where medical care is provided but whose atmosphere is not reminiscent of a hospital? The theme is both thought-provoking and essential, it is this theme that must be addressed to provide an architectural response. How does one define a child or teenager? As a a young shoot seeking to spread its roots to become a tree?

If it grows too fast, it lacks stability to resist in the world of adults. If the shoot is sick, it will not grow properly or may even perish before it reaches its full size. It is therefore necessary to create an environment that can ensure that this young plant grows in an atmosphere providing all the conditions it needs to one day stand among its peers. What better conditions than those found in a greenhouse ? Such is the theme we identified to guide us in the development of this project.

Glass, transparent or translucent, promoting light and stable conditions, along with a delicate repetitive structure, are just some of the elements supporting the purpose and shaping the appearance of this building dedicated to healing. It is refined and elegant, adorned with glass, sometimes transparent, sometimes translucent, as if a child were playing amid greenery and light. From the point of view of a young child, rather than a large intimidating hospital machine, the layout is undaunting thanks to its string of small structures.