We design and build France's largest higher education campus dedicated to apprenticeships

Just a few weeks after opening its doors for its very first academic year, the new IGENSIA Education Group campus was inaugurated on January 23 in the heart of the new eco-neighborhood of Les Groues, in Nanterre, in the company of Mayor Raphaël Adam, Valérie Pécresse, on behalf of the Ile de France region, which has contributed to financing the Campus, and developers Bricqueville and Telamon.

Designed and built by A26 Architectures and its partner architect Atelier MBE, in partnership with developers Bricqueville and Telamon, the new facility will take 2 years to complete, at a construction cost of 25.5 million euros excluding VAT. With a surface area of almost 11,000 m2 spread over 8 floors and a capacity of over 2,300 people, this is the largest higher education site dedicated to apprenticeships in France.

This large-scale project illustrates our expertise in designing spaces that encourage learning, and embodies its vision of the challenges of neighborhood transformation.

ARCHITECTURAL INNOVATION FOR LEARNING

The IGENSIA Education Group campus has been designed to offer a new learning experience centered on connectivity, flexibility and interaction. It comprises 43 classrooms with digital facilities, 13 computer rooms, 2 amphitheatres (225 and 125 seats), a learning lab, flexible multi-purpose rooms and a coworking space, as well as a 122-space bicycle park to facilitate soft mobility.

The food court on the Groues campus - Photo credit: Côme Bocabeille for A26

"It's a building in tune with new approaches to teaching", explains Marc Seifert, president of the A26 architectural firm.explains Marc Seifert, president of the A26 architectural firm: "With the development of distance learning, institutions need to adapt to new teaching methods. That's why we designed the Groues campus as an ultra-connected place of exchange, open onto terraces and hanging gardens, to enable varied and modular uses and thus offer real added value for students and faculty alike." The site also features a catering area open to the public during campus opening hours.

The new Les Groues campus - Photo: Côme Bocabeille for A26

Right from the design stage, we incorporated the principle of reversibility, enabling the building to be converted to another use. The façade, which is reminiscent of "a birch forest whose trunks vibrate to the rhythm of the day's light", required particularly advanced studies: "We pushed the acoustic and sunlight studies to the limit: on the acoustic side, we wanted to avoid an "organ" effect with the wind, so we built a prototype that we tested in a wind tunnel at the CSTB in Nantes for optimum user comfort. We also worked on the sunlighting of individual rooms with heliodons to validate the effectiveness of these sunbreakers", explains Carole Houssin, the A26 architect who oversaw the project.

The campus was insulated using hemp-based materials, enabling it to achieve a B'Bio max - 30% level and the "Bâtiment Biosourcé" label. Finally, "we designed the color of the building to be reminiscent of the Groues soil," adds Carole Houssin.

The new Les Groues campus - Photo: Côme Bocabeille for A26

A CAMPUS CONNECTED TO LA DÉFENSE, AT THE HEART OF THE NEW GROUES ECO-NEIGHBORHOOD

With the delivery of this new facility, A26 is contributing to the metamorphosis of the ZAC des Groues. In just a few weeks' time, this former wasteland will see the construction of a self-owned residential building, shops and a mixed-use building comprising offices and social housing. This new development is part of the urban renewal program being implemented by the city of Nanterre, and promises to transform the area over the long term.

In addition to the future facilities to be added, the campus already boastsa particularly strategic location, in the immediate vicinity of the Grande Arche de La Défense, where the majority of French and international companies hosting IGENSIA Education Group students are based.

The site will also be connected to the heart of the capital by the Nanterre-La-Folie station, which in 2030 will be served by the future line 15 of the Grand Paris Express, linking the campus to the Gare du Nord in 12 minutes, compared with 25 today.

The new Les Groues campus - Photo: Côme Bocabeille for A26