amelia tavella's school in strega blends within the trees and ferns of the corsican landscape

amelia tavella architectes transforms a former equestrian area in the remote village of sainte-marie-sicche, corsica, into a school that blends harmoniously with its surroundings. facing a large landscape filled with trees and ferns, school in strega features wood on its exterior surfaces, living in real symbiosis with the nature around it. 

the project is slipping, in its streamlined shape, on a vast blank ground between two century-old oaks which mark the entrance to the school. on the exterior, amelia tavella placed pine cleats vertically to create a natural mesh that deploys along the facades, alternating solids and gaps, and proposing shadow and light contrasts. punctually, this envelope is interrupted, leaving room for the granite which comes from old corsican buildings, resized on site before being assembled. this volume is located to the north and turns towards the village, becoming a reminder of the traditional architecture, while the roof emphasizes the skyline of the surrounding mountains. this unitary over-roof is the identity of the building, and allows a harmonious bioclimatic management of the structure. 

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edited by: sofia lekka angelopoulou | designboom