en.Wedoany.com Reported - On May 5, the Haute-Savoie Departmental Council launched the reconstruction project of the Champagne High School in Thonon-les-Bains, with a total investment of €44.5 million (excluding tax). This will increase the capacity of the 7,548-square-meter school from the current 600 students to 850. Built in 1982, the school currently has 1,000 enrolled students, prompting the region to plan two additional high schools to accommodate student growth and optimize distribution.
The project plans to demolish 1,500 square meters of built area (including the indoor gymnasium and half-board dining hall) and construct a new 3,000-square-meter extension for teaching spaces, a multipurpose hall, general and vocational adaptation education departments, a kitchen, and a half-board dining hall. The project will also add two new public housing units (with four existing units to be renovated), an outdoor sports field, and a secure forecourt with bicycle parking. The courtyard will be made permeable, with increased shaded areas through a new indoor gymnasium and tree planting, organized around islands for different uses.
The existing building will be fully renovated to meet the departmental council's teaching and functional standards. According to Yohann Forel, partner of 58 Bis Architectes and head of the design team, the core of the project is to simplify the internal operations complicated by the octagonal structural grid, which has led to wasted or poorly configured spaces. By partially expanding the building into a square shape, overall rationalization can be achieved, restoring a linear internal layout.
The construction contract was awarded to a consortium comprising Campenon Bernard Dauphiné Savoie (a subsidiary of Vinci Construction Group), Ventimeca (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), and Aquatair (plumbing). Jean-Michel Carpentier, director of Campenon Bernard Dauphiné Savoie, stated that the goal is to entrust over 45% of the work to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Chablais or other areas of Haute-Savoie, with plans to provide 17,500 hours of integration employment. The company has secured assistance from Artelia and Vinci Insertion Emploi to broaden opportunities and cover all trades.
The project's environmental targets include reducing energy consumption by 60% through connection to the community biomass network and rooftop photovoltaic panels, harvesting rainwater for toilets and irrigation, and using bio-based materials such as wood. Construction is expected to be completed by February 2028, after which modular buildings installed on nearby community land to accommodate students during the construction period will be dismantled.
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