rebirth of a village through an innovant school 

The aim of the project by french designer matali crasset is to reorganize and grow the « Blé en herbe » school to breath a new dynamics in the small village of Trébédan (Côtes d’Armor, Brittany, France).

This artistical demand was made by a groupe of people who wanted to « make the social and cultural link of the school visible and strengthen it ». The answer of matali crasset is, on the one hand, to reorganize the teaching spaces, and, on the other hand, to open public spaces for common use. She also proposes tiny-architectures called Extensions de générosité (Generosity Extensions), placed inside and next to the school. Such an innovant project, in deed.

This examplary project - by its educative work-in-progress, its social and environnmental process - is actually being realized. As the new classrooms are being out carried, all the protagonists of the project - the patrons, the designer, the mediator, the sponsors and of course the pupils - wished to make discover this first issue.

After having spent a year in prefabricated classes, the pupils came back to the school with its functionnal and richly-colored frame. So they invited people for a snack in February, marking an issue, but also the begining of the construction of the other buildings, the furniture workshop and the setting of the Extensions de générosité ! 

The concept of matali crasset developps both functionnal art and environnmental requirement as the school is built according to passive system architecture, a first time in Brittany for this kind of public building.

1. the « intimate » space for pupils and teaching

For « le Blé en herbe » matali crasset conceived new educative equipments.The tow primary classrooms are reorganized in the ancient building, whereas a new one will be built for the nursery around the court.All together they represent the « intimate » spaces dedicated to school activities. 

2. shared spaces

In parallel of these equipments, tow new arrangements allow to open the school to the inhabitants.The new canteen will also be dedicated to gymnastics and to the activities of the social groups.
The cyberspace-library will be open to others out of school times.

A new court is being built continuing the classrooms. It offers a set of slide games (tobogans, banisters), and can also be used by the rest of the population. 

3.  the Extensions de générosité

On the different multifunctional platforms are pulgged four Extensions de générosité.They are made to organize the different links from the school to the outside. They are tiny architectures openning the school to the village : « the cycle », « the game », « the meeting » and « the reading ». Each of them is qualified by its function.
The one called « the meeting » was exhibited at National Architecture School of Rennes in June 2010, for the second edition of Les Ateliers de Rennes - contemporary art biennale. 

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