Thanks to the subtlety of its architectural style, the new school building located at the heart of the village naturally blends into its environment. Two products from the TERREAL range were used here: the Volnay interlocking tile and the Zephir Evolution cladding system, factory-cut to the same dimensions as the tiles in order to provide perfect consistency. “As the products are adapted to their intended use, implementing them was no more difficult than it would have been on any other project”, explains Philippe Dufoix of Dufoix Entreprise. “The crux of a project of this nature is actually the layout sketches! You have to be meticulous in order to ensure that the roofing parts align with the façade.
Committed to the notion of providing the children with a convivial space, the architects chose to play with colour, while preserving very natural tones in harmony with the environment. When the sun is low in the sky it creates a magical spectacle: the roof appears to be the colour of the sky while the façade comes to life according to the rhythm of the variations of the landscape reflected against it. “The use of terracotta in this form clearly creates surprise!”, points out Frédéric Giroux, project management representative for SAEDEL. “Furthermore, as they are not very accustomed to this type of finish, people wonder about the material: is it metal, resin? You have to touch the façade and feel the roughness under the coating in order to identify the terracotta, the raw and material nature of which is preserved.”
“We were particularly conscious of the longevity of the material”, explains Jean-François Lelarge, Mayor of Barjourville. “It is even conceivable that in 50 years we will be able to use the parts from this building to build another structure!”, jokes the elected official, who adds: “Glazed terracotta has another valuable asset for us public officials: it is self-cleaning. Contaminants that may deposit on it are washed away by the rain and the building instantly recovers its glow. So no maintenance!” Its qualities have already been demonstrated in any case: you only need to look at a building such as the Hospices de Beaune, whose polychrome glazed roof has endured for centuries without even ageing! "
UK
