Descartes School by Arpio Architects: A Benchmark in Sustainable School Architecture in Morocco

The Descartes School in Rabat, Morocco, designed by Arpio Architects in collaboration with Coco Architecture, stands as a landmark in sustainable school architecture in Morocco. Commissioned through an international competition organized by the French Embassy and the AEFE, the project reimagines the Lycée Descartes campus with a design rooted in environmental performance, user wellbeing, and cultural relevance.

A Courtyard-Based Concept Inspired by Traditional Moroccan Architecture

At the heart of the design lies a reinterpretation of the traditional Moroccan courtyard house, which informs the spatial and climatic logic of the entire project. This central courtyard acts as a microclimatic regulator—managing sunlight, ventilation, and heat while encouraging interaction and spatial openness. This approach not only reduces the building's environmental footprint but also enhances thermal and acoustic comfort for both students and faculty.

Spatial Organization and Fragmentation for Human-Scaled Learning

The new school extension comprises three parallelepiped-shaped volumes, each dedicated to a specific function—education, administration, and communal interaction. By fragmenting the layout with terraces and open courtyards, the architects reduce the perceived mass of the structure, creating a more human-scaled experience for users. This architectural move aligns the heights of parapets and rooftops, generating visual cohesion between the historical 1963 building and the new additions.

Climate-Responsive Design with Façade Innovation

The façades of the new buildings integrate vertical sunshades made of white prefabricated fiber-reinforced concrete, serving as a second skin to control Rabat’s intense east-west sun exposure. These structural elements double as design features, providing texture, depth, and identity. Openings within the sunshades allow for vertical landscaping, encouraging trees to grow through the built fabric, enhancing natural cooling and aesthetic value.

Rooftop Garden as an Ecological and Social Extension

The rooftop garden extends the school’s usable space while also contributing to ecological sustainability. Alternating strips of greenery and gravel define the rooftop, with cantilevered concrete overhangs providing shade and acting as guardrails. This space serves dual functions: it supports biodiversity and serves as an event terrace, with the capacity to host up to 99 people. A trellis over the guest terrace filters sunlight, offering comfort without sacrificing openness.

Covered Walkways and Rainwater Management Systems

A distinctive feature of the school is its network of covered walkways, which connect double-oriented classrooms while framing the central courtyard. These walkways function year-round as wellness zones, protected from rain and heat. Each includes integrated drainage systems and is finished with metallic cladding, which ensures long-term durability and minimal maintenance.

Structural Innovation Meets Passive Design

To preserve a clean visual aesthetic and optimize structural efficiency, the school uses inverted beams and solid slabs with integrated bands in the teaching blocks. Windows are designed with 50 cm-high solid spandrels, which reduce excessive low-level glazing and allow structural beams to pass without interrupting visual continuity. This detail is critical for maintaining structural clarity while enhancing the thermal performance of classroom spaces.

Harmonizing Heritage and Contemporary Educational Needs

Arpio Architects have ensured that the modern extension seamlessly blends with the historical school structure. The façade treatment and proportioning create a unified architectural language that respects the original 1963 building while introducing forward-thinking solutions for 21st-century education. The result is a balanced, refined campus that is both high-performing and culturally rooted.

All Photographs are works of Jean-Claude Laffitte