iXcampus - Sustainable campus, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

iXcampus, a technology and university campus, serves as a crossroads between the worlds of business, research and higher education. By 2025, it plans to accommodate more students and workers. The project involves the construction of new buildings as well as the extension of existing structures. More specifically, SAME is responsible for the extensions to the building designed by Jean Prouvé and René Coulon, and for the construction of the ‘Pavillon Est’, a higher education school of design. Both of the studio’s projects incorporate sustainable and environmentally-friendly construction systems: timber for the extensions and solid stone for the design school.

The site benefits from a prime location, close to the Saint-Germain-en-Laye national forest, rail and road networks, the town centre and the new T13 tram line. It fosters a dialogue between the suburban fabric, rich vegetation and a remarkable landscape and architectural heritage. It appeared essential not to compromise the identity of the park whilst fostering interactions between the various ‘building-objects’ on the site, including the Château Saint-Léger (1886), restored by Dominique Perrault in 1991, and the building co-designed by Jean Prouvé and René Coulon in 1952. The idea of the park becomes even more evident through the landscaping. The planting scheme reintroduces a romantic aesthetic, whilst spaces for social interaction take shape in various forms of outdoor areas.

Although the architectural interventions seem disparate, each with its own distinct identity, our aim is for them to share certain common objectives. The compact, recognisable form of the buildings and their facades, which open outwards, facilitate interaction between the architecture and the landscape. The grid-based design language, bio-based materials sourced from local supply chains, low-tech, prefabricated or dry construction methods, the neutrality of the interior spaces and the open-plan layout are design choices that ensure the flexibility, adaptability and sustainability of the architecture.