School for Management

The building is located on the right bank of the Garonne, in a new neighbourhood that faces the historical district, and stands amidst greenhouses belonging to the new botanical garden on the south side, and low houses with small gardens on the other sides. Designed to allow for future expansion, the building complex consists of several small sections forming a kind of 'island of buildings' integrated into the overall cityplanning concept. This 'island' offers numerous pathway systems, interior yards and patios on various levels. The proposed spatial programme extends over four storeys with the ground floor functioning as an initial level to accommodate collective functions such as auditoriums, meeting rooms, cafeteria and entrances to the departments. The main entrance leads directly to a large courtyard in the centre of the building, whence independent vertical connections lead to the upper floors. The restaurant occupies the corner and opens onto the street. The first floor accommodates three lecture rooms, glazed on the side facing the yards, an information facility, a multimedia centre and classrooms. The floors above are divided into separate sections which house the various faculties, thus creating open spaces in between to allow additional natural light to reach the lower floors by means of reflecting wall materials. The generous natural light is controlled by the position of the louvers (open, closed, halfclosed), and each room has a broad view of the city, of the surrounding hill or of the courtyards and patios. The façades of all the building sections are entirely glazed and fitted with solar protection, thereby providing a benign interior climate in both summer and winter. Continuous surrounding balconies framed with metal screen railings enhance the façade on all floors. Large flower pots with climbing roses adorn all levels of the building, evoking the charm of the small gardens around the school: a delicate, poetic offering to both the students and the residents of the surrounding area.