Designing Spaces of Care: Paul Le Quernec's Innovative Approach to Nursery Architecture in Fleury-sur-Orne

Since 1985, the Calvados region departmental nursery has provided temporary care for children aged from a few months to six years old who, due to various circumstances, have been unable to remain with their families. Each year, the nursery welcomes around 60 children in need of assistance, as part of the department's mission to protect those in danger. This temporary reception area safeguards children facing complex or hazardous family situations, with the ultimate goal of finding a suitable, long-term solution for their individual needs.

For the past 37 years, the Maison Départementale de l’Enfance et de la Famille du Calvados (MDEFC) had been located on Rue d’Auge in Caen. However, due to the outdated and obsolete setting, the structure needed to be relocated. The new premises, located in Fleury-sur-Orne just outside Caen, cover an area of 2,650 m2 and are known as the Pouponnière (nursery). The functional requirements of the various entities led to the surface being distributed over three buildings: technicals containing the workshops, a logistical building with administrative departments, medical services, parental reception services, laundry and dining services, and a building grouping together the children’s living areas.