LYCEE FRANCAIS RENE DESCARTES EXTENSION
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Competition, 2023
Third prize
In collaboration: PADW
BLOOM share their vision of the renovation of French school in Phnom Penh
Our buildings are born of their environment.
They respond to history, socio-cultural factors, functional needs, climate.
Our vision for the French school is
A quiet presence in dialogue with the city and its own history,
A rational and humble bioclimatic architecture that is adapted to climate change.
A campus that promotes social interaction,
Three additions are made: a new wing to the primary school, a new floor above the canteen, and an addition to the secondary school.
Three large buildings, shaped like big houses, reminiscent of the architecture of the 50s in Phnom Penh, establish a new presence for the Lycee.
Our project for LFRD improves what is already here and there.
It emphasizes the qualities of the existing buildings rather than superimposing a new architectural logic.
Old and new form a coherent ensemble around the Khmer-Thai Friendship Park.
The transformation of the school is gentle. The result is a clearer, more readable campus that functions like a well-designed city, with carefully defined zones for each age and function.
The challenge of densifying a disparate site is met in a sustainable way by prioritizing nature and building compactness.
It is the vegetated outdoor areas that define the interactions between students of all ages.
This reduces heat gain, aware of the increasing number of hot days due to the climate crisis.
The architecture reinterprets the very rational concrete structure of the original building.
The façade systems respond to the climate with aluminum louvers that block direct sun while maintaining an open view from inside.
Avoiding demolition to conserve resources, the limited scope of intervention allows for easy access from the street during construction, minimizing disruption to school operations. Structures are prefabricated as much as possible.
The project conveys the values of bloom: simplicity, economy of means, understanding of historical layers.
It prioritizes a greener environment and long-term thinking.
Antoine Meinnel / Bloom Architecture
Team : Antoine Meinnel, Nong Demy, Ban Rithy, Chao Momdavy, Lor Nicholas
Visualization: Sea Becare