to explore
is a school that is a boat, or a boat that is a school. Based on
this imaginary, and inspired by the boats of the Belle Époque on
Lake Neuchâtel, the project proposes a compact volume, where
the classrooms are distributed along an interior street. The
school includes a kindergarten on the ground floor and the rest
of the programme develops vertically, ending in a contemplative
terrace where the after-school area is located.
The main entrance, in relation to the playground area, is a
loggia which, by its scale, allows for part of the outdoor life of
the students.
One can imagine that one day the school will descend the hill
and 'return' to the waters of the lake of Neuchatel
location: Hauterive, Switzerland
year: 2021
programme: school
status: competition
surface : 3’200m2
client: Hauterive City Council
with: méderic gilgen & benoît jacques
![Every morning I walk down to the school. It looks like a boat rising out of nature and overlooking the lake. I feel like I'm going on a journey. Manuel, student at the Hautrive school](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dce8461ebe319c8d88e19a283952d42e3426ae6130b31b2c2932191ed1003fc6/Captura-de-ecra-2021-12-17--as-19.11.32.png)
![main entrance](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba97cc9604f50791134f10ef2442e13ca09f8417a2d4a433a4dd67cfbd97e2ae/Captura-de-ecra-2021-12-17--as-19.10.37.png)
![plan classroom floor](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6bfde96d68ba330f0ef346f104f457c20f5b3de6d798e26150e741d1f92e18d8/Captura-de-ecra-2021-12-17--as-19.12.30.png)
![Before going back to school, we are going to water the vegetable garden. The teacher told us that it was better to water in the morning, but I can't remember why. Our class waters on Tuesday. Each class has its own watering day. Rita, student at the Hautrive school](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/187f8033f1917ed38d18856b852e58c44a8c195e0d65ebc50555ab3c514c7568/Captura-de-ecra-2021-12-17--as-19.11.40.png)