Previously spread across four sites around Sousse, the polytechnic wanted to create a prestigious campus uniting its Architecture and Engineering departments. As private teaching became more popular after the 2011 revolution, the already-acquired 6,300-square-metre site needed to accommodate larger premises while retaining harmony and coherence. The architects therefore proposed a vertical campus, to free up as much ground-floor space as possible for communal areas and gardens: a green micro-urbanism, still meeting the requirements for easy circulation, accessibility, and identifiability of departments. Linked by circling walkways that encourage students from different disciplines to intermingle, the spaces are arranged in four blocks around a large central atrium that recalls Mediterranean courtyards. Modern materials (notably reinforced concrete) are combined with traditional techniques and forms that aid natural climate control. Passive shading systems inspired by both traditional mashrabiya loggias and Tunisian contemporary architecture pioneers adorn the facades, allowing natural lighting while limiting heat gain.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
