Competition for Collège de Béthusy

Lausanne

The site analysis revealed two defining themes: first, an architecture organised around orthogonality and symmetry; second, an architectural richness arising from the site’s gradual evolution, marked by the successive addition of buildings with distinct architectural vocabularies.

The project preserves the spirit of the site, avoiding additions to or upward extensions of the existing buildings out of respect for its heritage. The new building, which houses the library and after-school care centre, is set back from the main building and maintains the courtyard’s defining open space. Its compact form is softened by a recessed top storey. This gesture echoes a recurring feature of the site and is complemented by a covered play area providing separate entrances to the two facilities. Reunited in a single space, the library becomes a shared place.

The new school building is designed as a timber structure, while the sports halls use a hybrid timber-and-concrete structure. Alongside the timber, the project seeks to reuse earth excavated on site for unfired-earth partitions, creating a combination of sustainable materials with a harmonious aesthetic.