> > > > > > > > > >
Title
Coulommiers, Templiers neighborhood
Sous-titre
Renovation and expansion project for an educational campus, open to the city at the heart of the neighborhood
Region(s)
Île-de-France
Name of the priority urban neighborhood (population)
Quartier des Templiers, 2 887 hab.
Département(s)
Seine-et-Marne
Programmes de l'état
Action Cœur de Ville
Contracting authority
Ville de Coulommiers
Name of the municipality (population)
Coulommiers, 15 250 hab.
Titre
Coulommiers, quartier des Templiers | Quartiers de demain
Video
Titre
1. A neighborhood within an area
Texte

Location

The Templiers neighborhood, designated a priority neighborhood under the city policy since 2014, is located north of Coulommiers, between the historic city center and the hamlet of Theil. Positioned on elevated ground, this panoramic site offers direct access to the nearby countryside, with views over the Grand Morin Valley.

History

The establishment of the commandery of the Knights Templar between 1172 and 1173, marked the start of site occupation. Situated in an elevated position, separate from the historic town and along trade routes, the buildings served as a monastery, farm, and fortress for pilgrims. During the 13th century, the domain expanded through donations of land, fields, vineyards, and woods. After the Order of the Knights Templar was dissolved by Philip the Fair in 1307, the commandery was transferred to the Order of St. John, who established a hospital there. During the Revolution, the domain was sold to Pierre Josse, a farmer, and became known as the Hospital Farm.
Sold several times and subdivided throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the farm was purchased by the town in 1964 to initiate a large urbanization project that produced housing. Known as Ville Haute, in contrast to the Ville Basse (the city center), the neighborhood saw the construction of 1,160 housing units, as well as schools, shops, and a sports complex. Architect Emile Aillaud designed several educational facilities: two high schools with workshops, two elementary schools, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria. In 1978, the city hospital relocated part of its activities to the site. The Commandery site was listed as a historical monument in 1994.

Images
Location plan of the neighborhood

Location plan of the neighborhood

Aerial historic photo of the neighborhood

Aerial historic photo of the neighborhood

Master plan of the neighborhood

Master plan of the neighborhood

Titre
2. The current urban project
Texte

Orientations

The City of Coulommiers and the Public Housing Office of Coulommiers have been working for several years on an urban renewal plan for the Templiers neighborhood, aimed at rethinking its layout with the core goal of promoting social diversity. With 1,260 social housing units making up 60% of the city's social housing stock and buildings showing signs of age and low energy efficiency, the stakes for renovation and diversification are high.

The ambition is also to enhance the neighborhood’s potential and strengthen its appeal. Reconnecting public and regional facilities (hospital, regional school campus, Commandery site) to public spaces would increase their visibility and allow for a rethinking of central points within the neighborhood. Redefining the shopping center in synergy with the city center also aligns with this goal.

Improving the site's landscape qualities and opening it up to the surrounding natural environment would reaffirm its original identity, offering a real shift in image and promoting a more harmonious community life.

Through these actions, the aim is to balance urban development within a sustainable framework. These objectives have been incorporated into the planning principles identified within the thematic Planned Development Operation for the Templiers neighborhood.

Progress report

In 2015, an initial study for the overall redevelopment of the Templiers neighborhood was conducted. This study led to the inclusion of the Templiers neighborhood in the Territorial Revitalization Operation of the Action Cœur de Ville program and to the creation of a Planned Development Operation in the Local Urban Plan approved in 2020. The housing authority also incorporated objectives for rehabilitation, residential upgrading, and accessibility improvements for part of its housing stock in its 2017 Strategic Heritage Plan.

In 2023, the town and the Public Housing Office (OPH) launched an urban redevelopment study for the Templiers neighborhood, led by a team from Praxys. This study aimed to guide short-term actions through a building condition assessment and to define a medium-term vision establishing a shared action plan between the city and the social housing provider. An initial guide plan was developed for the neighborhood, although no decisions have been made regarding a long-term vision.

Additionally, the Ile-de-France school campus, which hosts nearly 2,000 students, will undergo a complete renovation and be expanded with a new reception building. The first phase of work began in the summer of 2024. A new Sports Hall will be built by the town and the conurbation, replacing the aging Pierre Voituret gymnasium. This facility will attract a wide range of users, with 70% of sports club members coming from outside Coulommiers. Located opposite the school campus, it will also be available for use by high-school students.

Images
Aerial photo of the area under study

Aerial photo of the area under study

Urban project master plan

Urban project master plan

Titre
3. The project put to the teams
Texte

The project site

The southern part of the neighborhood, which hosts nearly all of the Templiers' residential stock, includes a central area featuring Jean de la Fontaine school, a neighborhood shopping center, and a church. Seeking to optimize its school infrastructure, the community plans to merge Jean de la Fontaine and Jehan de Brie Schools, integrating early childhood services to create a new educational hub in the area. This project is an opportunity to completely rethink this centre and consider the future of Jehan de Brie school, designed by Emile Aillaud.

Initial ideas for programming

The educational campus project includes a schools complex with 24 classrooms (12 for preschool and 12 for elementary school, accommodating approximately 600 students), a leisure center (ALSH) with a capacity of 120 children, a school dining facility, and a nursery with 13 places. The designated site for this project spans 17,925 m2, currently occupied by the Jean de la Fontaine school.

Near the school is the neighborhood’s shopping center, whose provision, typology and form will need comprehensive review as part of the project. While addressing the local residents’ needs, it’s important to broaden the scope by considering service offerings that complement those present in the city center.

Additionally, the design and connectivity of public spaces need to evolve to link this central area with the school campus, the sports hall, and the Commanderie with its Micro-Folie digital art space. This cohesive approach will revitalize the neighborhood’s central area, creating a fresh image.

As for the Jehan de Brie site, which will be freed from educational use, the programmatic vision should explore developing a new purpose, at least partly leveraging the architectural heritage of this site.

The ambitions of the project

This operation aims to open the school to the neighborhood and the town, making it a vital hub for community interaction, alongside the shopping center.

The renovation and expansion of the Jean de la Fontaine preschool to create an educational campus aims to improve the building's energy performance. The architectural design of this facility will need to combine environmental performance with thoughtful use of spaces, addressing the goals of Tomorrow’s School. Specifically, the project must be designed with a low carbon impact and incorporate local, bio-sourced materials. The programming should connect with the neighborhood’s key facilities, particularly the sports hall and the Commanderie with its Micro-Folie digital art space. The goal is to create a flagship building embodying these principles. The future of Jehan de Brie school can also be envisioned this way, with its remarkable architecture repurposed meaningfully to contribute to the neighborhood’s renewal.

The approach to public spaces, including the playgrounds on the educational campus, will incorporate biodiversity, soil permeability, and new uses, fostering a reimagined connection to the surrounding countryside.

The community is also keen to closely involve users, especially the educational community, to simplify the process of project ownership.

Images
Aerial photo of the project site

Aerial photo of the project site

Aerial photo of the operational perimeter

Aerial photo of the operational perimeter

Images
Centre commercial des Templiers

Centre commercial des Templiers

École Jean de la Fontaine

École Jean de la Fontaine

École Jean de la Fontaine 2

École Jean de la Fontaine 2

École Jehan de Brie

École Jehan de Brie

Titre
Questions put to the designers during dialogue
Texte

• How can the concept of a school be reinterpreted to address current usage needs, making it a secure but accessible facility integrated into the city? 
• How can the renovation of Jean de la Fontaine school become a carbon footprint benchmark for the region (reuse, energy efficiency, energy production, bio-sourced materials, etc.)? 
• How can the neighborhood center's program be re-thought to connect commercial and service offerings with nearby facilities, creating an attractive, inclusive, and safe campus? 
• How can the link to the broader landscape be maximized, and biodiversity enhanced through public space redesign and courtyard redevelopment?

Images
Coulommiers

Coulommiers