Faced with the aging school building stock, the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, together with a team led by the architects of Matador and KIS studio, including bureau greisch, has launched a project to provide school organizing authorities with a modular prefabricated construction system for schools, with a wooden structure.
The well-being of schoolchildren depends on the quality of education but also on the quality of infrastructure. As the school buildings in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles are aging, an ambitious project has been set up. The goal is to offer organizing authorities of kindergarten and primary schools a modular construction system.
This project is divided into two parts: an R&D component, led by the Cellule architecture of the FW-B, and a second component focused on building a pilot project, overseen by the Direction Études et Projets of Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement.
The first part of this project focuses on defining the concept. Bureau greisch was involved from the outset for the stability aspect. Once defined, the generic modular system was tested at full scale. A mock-up was created, which allowed for validating the different hypotheses and the feasibility of the project. This prototype also serves as a showcase for future users of the system.
An informational brochure and a vade mecum provide all the necessary information to successfully start the project.
This solution is entirely made of wood. The flooring rests on a structure of laminated column-beam frames, partially visible, and on load-bearing walls made of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), which consists of panels composed of multiple layers of wood oriented perpendicularly.
The choice of wood is far from random. It is an inherently ecological material. Ideally sourced from sustainably managed forests (FSC – Forest Stewardship Council or PEFC – Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), it has a low environmental impact and enables a fast construction process with minimal disruption. It optimizes transport and assembly while reducing the need for heavy handling at every stage, ensuring unmatched efficiency.
A well-thought-out design also allows for a construction process that is mostly dry, significantly reducing execution times and making the assembly independent of weather conditions. Additionally, wood is a holistic material, used not only for the building envelope but also for furnishings and other elements. This makes it a simple and efficient construction solution.
Finally, wood enhances well-being. Its physical properties ensure a healthy indoor environment (moisture regulation, etc.), which positively impacts the health and well-being of occupants, especially children.
Beyond the advantages related to the material itself, a modular school presents additional benefits. The design phase is facilitated thanks to the standardization of floor plans, resulting in cost savings on architectural and technical studies without compromising creativity. Modularity also allows adaptation to different geometries.
During the construction phase, the main advantage is time savings, thanks to the prefabricated nature of the buildings. This system also guarantees a high-quality and reliable solution, where all technical aspects such as acoustics, air quality, indoor temperature, etc., have been thoroughly analyzed and optimized.
In 2025, a new milestone will be reached for this project. The fundamental section of the Athénée royal de La Louvière will undergo a complete reconstruction based on this modular system.
The new school, covering approximately 1,500 m² over two floors, will include ten classrooms, a nap room, and various additional facilities such as offices and sanitary areas.
This pilot project will validate the expected comfort levels through various measuring devices (H2O, temperature, CO₂).
Project Partners
- Client: Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (Wallonie-Bruxelles Enseignement & Cellule architecture)
- Architect: KIS (Keep it Simple) – Matador
- Structural Engineering Office: bureau greisch
- Contractor and Industrial Partner: Stabilame
- Special Techniques & PEB Engineering Office: Detang
- Acoustics Engineering Office: Daïdalos Peutz
- Signage: COAST
- University Research Laboratory – Architecture & Climate: UCL
- University Research Laboratory – Structure & Technology: UCL