The National School of Architecture of Toulouse is back to school
Each year, the Toulouse National School of Architecture (ENSAT) welcomes 800 hand-picked students near Mirail, including around a hundred in their first year.
Each year, the Toulouse National School of Architecture (ENSAT) welcomes 800 hand-picked students near Mirail, including around a hundred in their first year.
As with all universities, joining the school of architecture is done via Parcourusp. “This year we received 3,000 applications in total,” rejoices Pierre Fernandez, director of Ensat since 2017.
“This year we received 3,000 applications in total”
In addition to these budding architects, there are around fifty doctoral students. And it’s not over. “There must also be around fifty additional young architects who pass their project management accreditation (HMONP) which is obtained after the State architect diploma”, emphasizes the director. This accreditation allows architects to open their own practice.
Like other schools of architecture, Ensat has not been able to escape the impact of major societal and environmental transformations.
“This is a theme we have been dealing with since the 1980s. Historically, we have developed our research around three laboratories. That of bioclimatic architecture relative to the environment. The computer lab applied to architecture for the digital transition. And the city and heritage project lab,” recalls the director.
The environment at the heart of training
Proof of this commitment, the Ensat can boast of having set up the first European master’s degree in “architecture and sustainable development” in the 1990s.
And in order to raise awareness among future architects, since 2017 the establishment has been organizing an integration week for all first-year students under the theme “Toca Tierra”.
“Before touching their computers, they must learn to make bricks in raw earth, work the fiber …”, warns the director.
School expansion
Building on its success, the school will expand from 2023. “The project was canceled by the Covid, but from next year we will begin the work to expand and modernize the school”, welcomes Pierre Fernandez.
Passing from 6000 m2 at 8,500m2, the director hopes to offer his students a more comfortable working environment. Because there is no question of increasing the number of students.