Eaux-Vives

40, Rue Patrick Morgan, La Malbaie, Canada

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Eaux-Vives

40, Rue Patrick Morgan, La Malbaie, Canada

Firm

Groupe A

Type

Educational › Elementary School

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

BUDGET

$10M - 50M

Photos

Jonathan Robert (16)

The project is composed as a series of pavilions that engage with the distinctive landscape of La Malbaie — a natural amphitheatre overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Through this play of volumes, each student can identify with their own pavilion, while the composition generates ever-changing perspectives. The new volumes are generously glazed, reinforcing visual and spatial connections between interior and exterior and weaving together the rhythms of the new school and the pulse of the surrounding community.

Located at the heart of the historic center, the project seeks to reconnect the school with its environment. Along Rue Saint-Étienne — the principal commercial artery of the town — a series of communal spaces open outward, fostering renewed dialogue between the institution and the shared life of the village.

Responding to the diverse needs of children, the interior environment offers multiple scales of appropriation. At the core of the school, a generous multifunctional space with integrated bleachers becomes the focal point of student life. Its flexibility supports a wide range of activities and gatherings. Around this central hub, a constellation of adaptable spaces fosters spontaneous interaction as well as individual concentration in calm, reassuring, human-scaled settings.

Collaborative areas act as thresholds between circulation zones and classrooms. Each has its own colour identity, giving it a distinctive character within the overall composition. The chromatic design shapes and organizes space, guiding users intuitively through the building. Children are welcomed into vibrant, playful environments that invite exploration, movement, play, rest, and learning — all while nurturing healthy lifestyle habits.

Well-being lies at the heart of the architectural approach. Particular attention was given to acoustics in order to shape a calm atmosphere where concentration naturally takes place. This focus on acoustic comfort was combined with careful consideration of the durability and resilience of surfaces in the selection of materials. In the long term, this approach ensures spaces that are both acoustically efficient and consistent with a responsible, sustainable design vision.

Comprising 27 classrooms, the new school also features a rich variety of shared and programmatic spaces: a multipurpose hall, a motor skills room, a learning hub, a large multifunctional space, a dining area, and numerous collaborative zones. With a total area of approximately 6,000 m², the building offers a stimulating and coherent environment that supports creativity, curiosity, and the consolidation of learning.