Lycée Ernest Ferroul, Lézignan-Corbière

Taken care of today – to take care of tomorrow

When classes at the vocational college reach full capacity in 2018, 1,400 students will be taught here – with some being full-time residents. The team at leading architects Rudy Ricciotti were keen to design the architecture of the school building and halls of residence to support these young people in this transitional phase. Part of which includes taking responsibility for their health – with fittings from SCHELL.

Project data

New-build project

Completion: 2015/2016

Architects: Rudy Ricciotti

Execution: Maîtrise d’ouvrage Conseil Régional Occitanie

SCHELL products: PURIS SC HD-M self-closing wash basin tap, PETIT SC HD-K pillar valve, PETIT SC HD-K self-closing wall outlet, LINUS DP-SC-T shower panel, EDITION WC operating panel with COMPACT II WC installation module, EDITION urinal operating panel with COMPACT II urinal concealed flush valve, SCHELLTRONIC infrared exposed urinal flush valve

“The students attending vocational college find themselves in a state of transition: between adolescence and adulthood, between education and their careers. While safely ensconced in the school building today, tomorrow they face the wider world.” This was the starting-point taken by Rudy Ricciotti’s team of architects when designing the Lycée’s various buildings. The main school building, sports facilities and halls of residence are all located on a single site.

The school building emphasises openness, with its predominantly horizontal roofing panels stacked over another and glasswork covering the interstitial spaces. This horizontality is emphasised by the extreme overhang on the panels, which interact and intermesh with the outdoor area. The halls of residence are quite different – their punctuated facades are intentionally left opaque to create a sanctuary for the students.

The architects also achieved a balance of opposites when designing the washing and sanitary facilities, harmonising a personal need for comfort and hygiene with the fundamental requirement of handling up to 1,400 users every single day.

All facilities – from showers to wash basins, WCs and urinals, and exposed and concealed installations – were equipped with SCHELL fittings, thanks to the extensive and varied range of products on offer. The coherent design used on urinal and WC flush operating panels, for example, helps to create a uniform visual appearance. The architects also made good use of SCHELL’s installation systems,

to ensure the maintenance of optimum hygiene standards in all relevant areas and safeguard the health of all users. At the same time, the self-closing fittings also help to reduce water consumption, while the rugged construction and durable mechanisms ensure products retain their benefits even after being operated for the 1,400th time.