Located in Chicoutimi, Saguenay, l’école de l’Étincelle is a shining example of architecture firmly rooted in its context. The architectural approach rethinks the conventional school and proposes a scale that is friendly, accessible, and reassuring for children. Fragmented into small houses around a central courtyard, the architecture becomes familiar and warm, creating a calming and reassuring atmosphere that encourages students to love school and feel comfortable, just like at home
The school's silhouette blends with the residential landscape and reflects Saguenay's northern nature and is made entirely of locally sourced wood. Inside the school, three distinct wings delineate its different functions. The street-facing wing includes staff rooms on the ground floor and preschool classrooms on the level below. The central wing transforms the traditional library into a community learning hub. It was designed to facilitate extended operating hours, ensuring accessibility to the entire community. In the middle, a series of bleachers serves as a space for gathering and collaboration.

On each side of the library is the Creative Lab: a multi-purpose space with all the latest digital technologies, and the Culinary Lab, fully equipped with a restaurant-scale kitchen. The left wing is for the classrooms. Three sloped roof cottages create small, home-like schools within the building. Collaborative spaces in the middle of each classroom mimic public squares, encouraging mutual support and teaching students to work as a team. The chalet, a distinctive part of the program, serves as a dedicated space for young individuals with special needs, fostering socio-affective development. Resembling a home with a living room, kitchen, and dining area, it's where meaningful conversations, trust-building, social skill development, and growth occur. Sun-drenched interstices between cottages create pathways that open into the courtyard, fostering social interaction, curiosity, and nurturing students’ independence.

The landscaping extends the learning space beyond the walls of the school. Designed for Saguenay’s northern climate, it sits within the school's U-shaped structure. It provides a secure area for various activities: sports, outdoor learning, sheltered recreation, gardening, and both individual and group play spaces.

The school is a brilliant example of efficient energy use. The strong technical architecture allowed for smaller capacity systems. These are more sustainable and have lower operating costs. The entire building is temperature-controlled through centralized air-source heat pumps. Combined with hot and cold hydronic radiant floors, this ensures comfort throughout all months of school occupancy. Fresh air circulates through a displacement ventilation system, integrated directly into the architecture. The school aims for LEED V4 certification, which recognizes efforts in energy performance and reducing the ecological footprint.