Jean Zay School Group

Description

Sobriety. The word sounds particularly apt for this project with its minimalist lines and extraordinarily impressive environmental performance. Jean Zay elementary school, a pilot programme in the creation of the E+C- Energy-Carbon French certification system, managed to come top of the class with its wooden framework and terracotta finery!

• Year of delivery

  2020

• Location

  Toulouse France

• Architect / signatory

  Mairie de Toulouse

• Project owner

  Ville de Toulouse

• Installation company

  Briqueteurs réunis

• Photograph

  Les yeux carrés

• Product name

  Brique MAAX

• Product form

  Standard

• Epidermis texture

  Hand-Moulded

• Surface appearance

  Shaded natural

• Color

  M.1.107

• Work

  New

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© Photos sous copyright soumises à des droits d’auteur

Titre d'article

Relief and vibrancy combined with finesse

Corps d'article

The MAAX brick expresses its full potential here. Its long, slender shape elegantly emphasises the building’s horizontal design, thus subtly lightening the unembellished blocks, inspired by the 1930s, in a nod to the French Minister of Education, Jean Zay, who was a contemporary of that period. Recessed joints also accentuate the intrinsic vibrancy of the façade provided by the texture and colour nuances of this hand-moulded model.

The colour here is a warm grey shade, chosen for its neutrality, making it unobtrusive so as to turn the focus on landscaped areas. A harmonious contrast is formed, prompting an unforced dialogue between the terracotta and surrounding vegetation.

A little flight of fancy from the architect proved particularly successful: a traditional Arabic Moucharaby latticework grill effect on the side facing the road, to lighten and enliven the entire building. Children using the fully glazed staircases are therefore protected from onlookers’ gaze, while enjoying the benefit of gentle shafts of light and small lookout points, like so many gun slits in a fortified castle!

The word of

Mairie de Toulouse, Architect

Interview

Céline Fouillade, Architecture department of the city of Toulouse

“I particularly like terracotta as it’s a vibrant material that adds contours and relief. That's true with the MAAX brick, which livens up façades and avoids the mass effect of a solid, unbroken wall. Its fine slenderness and great length make it very elegant. I’m a regular user of products from Terreal which, for me, is the go-to company for terracotta construction materials. It's a historic group that has been manufacturing bricks for over 100 years. Its great strength is undoubtedly its endless ability to reinvent terracotta, with the greatest respect for the material and a level of know-how and mastery to ensure innovative, top quality solutions.”

Pascal Dalloux, manager of the installation company, Les Briqueteurs Réunis
"It's gratifying for us as brick layers to work on a project that is out of the ordinary, with a product of such lovely workmanship. MAAX is truly a magnificent brick! With such a product in your hands, you have to be equal to the goals of the architect and director of works. The construction site went very well. Many thanks to Terreal for its involvement and reactivity : when we needed an extra brick trailer, the site was supplied very quickly".