Gorgeous Green Roofed High School Rises in France

<a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/green-roof/">Green roofs</a> and good design go hand in hand, and this rolling grassy extension to the <a href="http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&amp;upload_id=13506">Marcel Sembat High School</a> in France is certainly no exception. Built right next to a public park, the project presented an interesting challenge: take a simple builing program and create a beautiful link between the city's urban infrastructure and its green <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/urban-design/">public spaces</a>.

Designed by French architecture firm <a href="http://www.archi5.fr/flash8/index.html">Archi5</a>, the Marcel Sembat High School extension is located in the Sotteville-les-Rouen region in France. It is composed of a mix of 1900's buildings that range all the way from 1930 to 1990. The school is located next to a <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/22/seoul-recovers-a-lost-stream-transforms-it-into-an-urban-park/">public park</a>, and the architects wanted to extend this greenery all the way to the school itself. They also needed to create additional space and reorganize the school to make its layout more efficient. The 12,700 square meter extension that they came up with is a beautiful exercise in green design.

First, the school will be blanketed with an insulating green roof. Certain areas will then be fitted with a sloping green roofs that visually integrate the buildings into the park.

Next, the architects decided to create a <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/21/calatrava-reveals-new-foot-and-bike-bridge/">bridge</a> between the old site and the new site, which is currently divided by a street. This will create a safe passage for the students while opening up space for a new <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/12/03/geometric-park-heals-a-rocky-rift-in-bilbao/">public plaza</a>.

By integrating the school and the park, the architects aim to give the students a gorgeous new place to learn, improve the site's views and external access, and create a brand new public plaza that can be enjoyed by everyone. If only all schools could be taken to this level.

The school is in construction right now, and is expected to open by next year <br> <br> <a href="http://www.archi5.fr/flash8/index.html"><strong>+ Archi5</strong></a> <br> Via <strong><a href="http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&amp;upload_id=13506" target="_blank">World Architecture News</a></strong>

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