The Sacré-Cœur of Estavayer renovated with its own materials

In Estavayer-le-Lac, the Sacré-Cœur site is undergoing a major transformation. The old school is being renovated to become a new primary school, but with an innovative approach: making maximum use of the materials already present on site.

The sinks, the cabinets or even the false ceilings, for example, will be restored and used again. The WOW architectural office, winner of a competition several years ago, is piloting this project in collaboration with the local resource center.

Involve the community in the process

This working method disrupts the traditional codes of architecture, where the final aesthetic is generally defined upstream, explains Florence Mani, architect at Studio WOW. Here, it's the opposite. “The result flows directly from the materials available, thus telling the story of reuse through the renovated building.”

The project is not limited to the renovation itself. On Saturday, an exceptional auction was organized, allowing individuals and companies to acquire materials not used for renovation, such as boards, insulation or mirrors. For example, one company placed an order for 30 doors.

The money raised will be used to partly finance the renovation of the bell tower.