Recreation Center Morel de Vindé by SCHÉMAA: Harmonizing Architecture and Landscape

Located in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, France, the Recreation Center Morel de Vindé, designed by SCHÉMAA, stands as a striking example of contemporary mixed-use architecture for educational and community facilities. Completed in 2020, this 350 m² recreation center integrates seamlessly into the existing school site, enhancing both functionality and landscape aesthetics.

The Recreation Center Morel de Vindé, designed by SCHÉMAA, is a thoughtful addition to the Morel de Vindé school group, integrating seamlessly into the existing educational campus while enhancing both recreational and outdoor spaces. Situated within the schoolyard, the project repurposes part of the recreational area and introduces a playground enriched with tree plantings. To the east, a planted embankment defines the boundary of the site, creating a natural, landscaped character that connects the school with its surrounding environment.

Positioned perpendicular to the existing gymnasium, the recreation center connects with it through a newly designed common hall. This spatial arrangement ensures that classrooms on the ground floor receive optimal sunlight, while creating a safe, contained outdoor area for the recreation center. Importantly, the design preserves a clear visual perspective from the site entrance, maintaining a harmonious connection between the courtyard and the school’s entry sequence.

The project exemplifies a dialogue between architecture and landscape. By integrating the building into the planted embankment, the structure extends the natural boundary of the schoolyard into a functional and aesthetic component of the overall campus design. The new building adopts a double East-West orientation: activity spaces open toward the courtyard on the west side, while roof sheds on the east provide views of the embankment and sky. This design ensures varied natural light conditions, diverse views, and effective natural ventilation for the classrooms and activity spaces throughout the day.

Designed with flexibility in mind, the activity rooms are modular and largely open to the playground. With the addition of removable acoustic partitions, two rooms can merge into a larger space, accommodating various programs and activities. The volumes of the activity spaces are treated as two independent elements, projecting toward the courtyard, emphasizing the modular and dynamic nature of the design.

All photographs are works of David Foessel