New Sylva™ CLT school-in-a-box opens in Nantes, France: Ecole Alice Milliat.

This 2,150 m² kindergarten/elementary school project is designed with an offsite-manufactured kit of parts including prefabricated Sylva™ CLT Stairs and Rib Floors, 'to help meet the tight time frame and their ambitious sustainability goals’ explained architect Sébastien Roy of forma6. 

"We had to respond to the need for schools in this area. The main advantage of this method of building is that it can quickly meet our needs…," says Gwenaëlle Direur at the City of Nantes' Education Department to Nantes Metropole.

The biophilic education facility is designed for optimal hygrothermal performance and excellent indoor air quality, vital for children's lungs, and high acoustic performance, creating an exceptional learning environment.

This project also happens to be the very first to be precoated with hydrophobic protection against moisture and insecticide, in Stora Enso’s new fully automated coating line. Using robotics to precoat the Sylva™ CLT Walls and Floors contributed to the high quality and short construction schedule.

The precoating process reduced the need for scheduling onsite labour to protect the wood during construction. Elements were lifted directly into place from the transport vehicle. This approach also cut down on noise pollution and traffic in and around the school area.

60 students started at the new school on September 2, 2024.

The school was so named 'E'cole Alice Milliat' after the famous Nanets born sportswoman. The school building has the capacity to accommodate 230 children.

Special thanks to forma6 for the interview and images. 

This Sylva™ kit includes:

Sylva CLT Walls and Floors 346.106 m³

Sylva CLT Rib Floors 65/ 1,170m²

Sylva Stairs 16 elements/16 m³

Connecting LVL boards 27x150x5000 mm

The façade is also uses recycled materials and certified bio-based wood fibre insulation. 

Sylva™ Services

Hydrophobic 1,996 m²

Insecticide 16,390 m²

Lifting straps

Read more:

Architect's description

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