Simone Veil High School

In 2020, the Simone Veil High School located in Gignac in the south of France welcomed 500 students, 80 of which live in the boarding house.

Built in a fairly short time (18 months), this large-scale project of 14,000 square meters, was directed by Benjamin PIRANY, from HELLIN-SEBBAG Architectes Associés, an architecture agency in Montpellier.

Mr. PIRANY explains that he took an environmental approach to the project, so it was very important not to disturb the natural environment. This is why the building was created in a way that looks like it is part of the surrounding landscape. In order to do this, the studio:

• Covered the façade of the building in terracotta shingles and created green roofs
• Positioned the education buildings to face North and South for optimum solar management
• Installed 1,850 square meters of photovoltaic panels and canopies
• Installed a heat pump to produce heat and hot wate.

In line with the environmental approach of this project, ecological construction principles were applied and materials with a low carbon impact were used. For example, two-thirds of the building structure and façade are made of wood, as well as the finishing details on the walls and ceilings.  

The architecture studio chose the following Tarkett floor coverings for the project:

• Linoleum was used for its high resistance and large colour selection. Warm tones of yellow and beige were installed in the classrooms to create a bright yet, soft and soothing atmosphere. Blue was chosen for atypical spaces like the Documentation, Training and Information Center.
• Acoustic vinyl was selected for the boarding house, since it is easy to maintain and has good acoustics. The floor covering was installed in teal blue in order to create a home-like and cozy atmosphere.

Everyone involved in the project is very satisfied with the selection of colours, the finishing details, and with Tarkett’s products and support.

Making conscious choices. For people and planet.
Tarkett Human-Conscious Design^TM.