Je participe à la rénovation de mon école ! – I’m participating in the renovation of my school !

Je participe à la rénovation de mon école ! is an experiment born of a common and strong will between socio-cultural center Boris Vian and the Cité du Design, the City of Saint -Etienne, the Academic Inspectorate of the Loire, the DRAC Rhône-Alpes Region and the Rhône Alps to unite in a collective territorial project. The theme of the design is a priority educational entry in Saint-Etienne. The principle is to achieve a design work with students going from idea to realization. This is a typical example of the application of design in the everyday life of young persons of Saint-Etienne.

Key actors

Je participe à la rénovation de mon école !, developed by the Cité du design and socio-cultural center Espace Boris Vian, was built in close partnership with the City of Saint-Etienne, the Direction of departmental services of Education of the Loire, the regional delegation of cultural business Rhône-Alpes and Regional Council Rhône-Alpes.

 Je participe à la rénovation de mon école ! binds the renovation of a school with an educational project through a design process. Its intention is to introduce and educate young students to design, from concept to design. Students and teachers exchange, share and build a renovation project with a designer – there a library here circulation spaces, also a canteen, etc.

Role of design

Design is central to the methodology, initiated early by a designer in the Cite du design. The various renovation projects are all led by designers, from the observation of uses, conducting awareness workshops to design and participative design from users (students, teachers, school staff and parents) until the project design (scenarios and plans) and directing with monitoring the work.

The innovation can be found in the setting up approach and methodology: both on the part of municipal services rarely use to design, from the point of view of the school who experiences for the first time the participation of young students at a renovation project, that the part of designers who are involved in an educational project and design whose formal responses are intended to spread. It is the networking of these three actors and their activities that Je participe à la rénovation de mon école ! an exemplary cooperation project.

CONTACT (of the editor)

Caroline d’Auria-Goux – Organization : Cité du design, Saint-Etienne, France – Email : caroline.dauria-goux@citedudesign.com