Les Violettes School Complex and Recreation Center / HEMAA Architectes

The Parisian agency HEMAA (Charles Hesters and Pierre Martin-Saint-Etienne) completed the Les Violettes school complex in November 2024 in Mareil-Marly (France), commissioned by the city. This project includes 16 classrooms, comprising a new kindergarten, an extension of six classrooms for the elementary school, and a recreation center. Area: 2,000 m². Budget: €7.10 million. The Les Violettes school complex is a village within the village of Mareil-Marly. Located on the heights of the town, the site is bordered by numerous remarkable trees and enjoys an unobstructed view to the west of the Paris metropolitan area, with the towers of La Défense visible in the distance. The existing buildings, with varied architectures from different periods, are nestled among trees and greenery, providing a privileged setting for children. HEMAA designed a garden school that preserves and enhances the qualities of this natural environment. The building, with its material palette of wood and glass, reflects the foliage of the trees, while the spatial layout emphasizes transparency between building volumes and openness to the sky.