The school conversion into housing units by ACBS Architectes is a contemporary conversion project of a partially unoccupied school building of the 19th Century in Essômes-Sur-Marne, France. While the upper floor was previously only used as housing for the school teacher, and had been empty for many years, the conversion of 2017 provided new affordable housing units while keeping the school function on the groundfloor, increasing the usable surface area from xxx to xxx. This project contributes to the social-ecological transformation by answering to the housing demand of the municipality, and repurposing a local heritage. The façade, containing the new inclusive entrance for the dwellings, demonstrates the evolution of the program. Made of corten steel, the remainder of the materials were placed around the existing windows, emphasising the coexistence of the new program, and the preserved function of the school.
Essômes-sur-Marne
France
School
Housing
2017