During the site visit, our first impression was that the plot was “held” by a green embankment almost 6.5 metres high, separating the upper and lower areas like a dam. Asking how such a barrier could be transformed led to the idea of a waterfall: a pedestrian flow connecting all levels of the site. Like a river diverted by stones, this waterfall bends when it meets the project buildings, integrating them into its path and shaping the overall spatial experience.

Because the upper and lower parts of the site are completely disconnected, we divided the slope into three levels: the entrance from the road (+590.50), the central access to the rehearsal rooms and the AES (+593.80), and the highest level (+597.30) leading to the crèche and games library. A lateral pedestrian walkway ensures full accessibility (SIA 500). This system creates multiple ground floors, allowing the topography and building layout to function together as a single, coherent whole.

The exterior design of the Michel Zone is conceived as an ensemble structured around a large central space. This area combines a partly covered mineral surface with a gently sloping planted zone, forming the heart of the project. The covered portion establishes a transversal axis that organizes circulation throughout the complex and defines the relationships between the different programmatic entrances connected to the site’s core.

Surrounding wooded strips complement this central area by providing natural protection, improving acoustic comfort for the nearby neighbourhood, and fostering biodiversity. The slope itself becomes an opportunity to generate a hierarchy of outdoor spaces, where uses are differentiated through gentle steps and gradients. Together, these elements create a landscape that unifies the project, strengthens its environmental quality, and reinforces the waterfall concept guiding the overall design.