THE COLLÈGE PROUDHON in Palente, north of Besançon, France, was built in 1971 in a style typical of its time, dominated by prefabricated concrete blocks. When the practices Teqtoniques and Architectures Adelfo Scaranello were commissioned to refurbish and create an extension for the college, the greatest challenge was that it had to remain open during the work.
The architects resolved this by splitting the project into phases over a total of three years. The design has at its heart a few concrete walls, from which the solid post and beam structure in glulam radiates in all directions. The largest of the beams is 1.15 metres high.
The façade of the extension is clad in shiny black sheets of thermoset plastic reinforced with wood fibre, while the concrete of the original building has been given additional insulation and a new matte white render.«
