La Fontaine Kindergarden / ALTA

Context - In Tours, the Jean de la Fontaine school has undergone a complete makeover at the hands of the ALTA agency. Initiated by the municipality at the end of 2020, the call for tenders aimed at the demolition and reconstruction of this establishment built in the 1960s. In the northeast of the city, in a rapidly changing neighborhood, the existing school was part of a complex urban fabric characterized by a great heterogeneity of scales and building types. In addition to making the establishment and its surroundings more legible, ALTA's project is a true homage to the architectural and natural heritage of the Loire region. The territory of Tours, traversed by the Loire and Cher rivers, is indeed marked by a strong vegetal presence: wooded hillsides, parks and landscaped areas, private and family gardens... This heritage, along with the layouts of the green and blue networks, forms one of the common threads that led the architects throughout this requalification project. Initiated in December 2022, the construction work was completed in April 2024 with the renovation of the existing gymnasium. In collaboration with the FAAR Paysage, landscapers, and new outdoor spaces were designed, combining ecological management and biodiversity enhancement with the intended outdoor uses for the schoolchildren.