A new 3,000m2 green school for pre-school and primary school children is to be built in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Currently in the planning stage, it is expected to be in operation by 2025. 

Boasting features such as natural lighting, solar panels, and a design that will make the space cooler and comfortable even in the hottest weather, the school will be constructed on the site of a former air base and will be part of a new eco-friendly neighbourhood that will spring up around it. 

The new site, created by the Icade & Emerige group, will see shops, housing and offices form a eco-focused quartier, with the school, which has been imagined by Nice-based architectural firm Comte & Vollenweider in association with the Atelier Stéphane Fernandez, as the cornerstone.  

The entire bill for the school is estimated to be in the range of €7,500,000, and the hope is that the school will be open for business by 2025. It will house 420 children from kindergarten through to primary, and will replace the aging La Plage school.  

This energy efficient model is meant to “optimise the glazed surfaces in order to benefit as much as possible from natural light,” Emmanuelle Delahaye, the General Director of Technical Services (DST) of Roquebrune-Cap Martin, said to Nice Matin, thus cutting down on electricity usage.

“There will also be an air handling unit with a double-flow system,” added Delahaye. “This allows night cooling in the evening and natural ventilation of the premises.”  

225m2 of photovoltaic panels will be positioned on the roof to produce 45kWh of energy to be used on site. As for the lighting, it will be LED with automatic graduation, varying according to the outside light. The structure will be a mix of bio-sourced materials and concrete, allowing the site to obtain the carbon energy label awarded to buildings with low carbon footprints and good energy efficiency.

There will also be a massive 824m2 outdoor play area, of which 500m2 will remain wild and natural. Another 1092m2 of courtyard space within the school will be dedicated to play.  

Photo source: Comte & Vollenweider