HEMAA’s Parc des Loges Childhood and Sports Center: Learning Architecture Rooted in Nature

Founded in 2018 by Charles Hesters and Pierre Martin-Saint-Etienne, HEMAA is an architecture firm guided by a contextual and sobriety-based approach rooted in the living world. Each project emerges from a sensitive reading of its surroundings, seeking a balance between nature, use, and material.

In Évry-Courcouronnes, south of Paris, the Parc des Loges Childhood and Sports Center exemplifies this philosophy through a landscape-focused design built from bio- and geo-sourced materials. The result is a public facility that feels both generous and deeply connected to its environment.

---

---

---

Architecture with Deep Roots

Following the site’s natural topography, the project unfolds along the slope without artificial alteration. Five main entities – a nursery, elementary school, childminders’ hub, cafeteria, and sports stand – are arranged around a central courtyard garden, protected from the street yet open to the surrounding park.

Delicate glazed walkways connect the individual buildings, promoting natural light, transparency, and a sense of continuity with the landscape. The façades, built from load-bearing rammed earth, and the timber interior framework pay tribute to local materials and craftsmanship, evoking the texture and tone of the nearby woods.

---

---

---

---

---

---

A Natural Extension of the Park

The pathways weave gently through newly planted trees, merging the school’s outdoor spaces with the park beyond. The children’s garden takes on the character of a small forest, planted with oaks, ashes, maples, and elms, and punctuated by a clearing that encourages free play.

Drawing inspiration from the Waldkindergarten movement, the design promotes an immersive, nature-centered approach to learning — one where discovery, curiosity, and play are inseparable from the rhythms of the living world.

 

Quelle: HEMAA / Martin Argyroglo
Bildquelle: HEMAA