In Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc, a small town on the Loire River located between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, the La Chênaie public school responds to recent population growth, characterized by the expansion of residential areas and a large child population. The project, developed by RAUM architectes, takes this context as its starting point and proposes a deliberately understated architecture, inspired by both suburban houses and agricultural buildings in the immediate surroundings.

The complex is organized around three clearly differentiated volumes: at one end, the building for the preschool level; at the opposite end, the primary school building; and between them, the school cafeteria, which acts as a connecting element. The playgrounds are located in the intermediate space, protected from the wind and the surrounding buildings, which helps to improve the acoustics and usability.

Perpendicular to these main buildings, a continuous strip houses the common areas and administrative spaces, connecting the different functions and simultaneously offering a flexible, freely accessible area for students. This layout allows for a clear understanding of the whole and fosters interaction between the various programs.

The building's materiality follows a straightforward and unpretentious construction logic: a concrete base, a wooden structure, and a steel roof. Inside, the partitions are made of exposed, single-layer bricks, a decision that helps regulate the environmental conditions and, in turn, recalls the typical construction methods of French housing developments.