Green Wall, Microforest: How a Middle School Transformed into an Urban Oasis

Moulins (Allier), reportage

Under the autumn sun, middle school students gather on the newly installed colorful seating in the heart of the courtyard. Gone are the unsightly benches, puddles, dust, and the overwhelming heat from the dark asphalt. “ Before, between twelve and two, we would just stand, tired, and it was a battle for benches ”, recalls Célia, a ninth-grade student and eco-delegate since sixth grade. “ Now, it’s easy to find a place to sit, we talk more, even with people we didn’t know. ” Her fellow student Maëva, 13, still clings to “ her ” wall, a relic from the old courtyard: “ It’s our meeting point, we know we’ll find each other there. ”

The two teenagers are among the forty eco-delegates of the school, driving a groundbreaking transformation project. For several months, they and their peers collaborated with architects and the adults at Charles-Péguy middle school to reimagine their schoolyard, located in the heart of Moulins (Allier). This renaturation of the school is part of a national initiative aimed at turning overly asphalted schoolyards into cool havens.

Selected as a pilot site by the Allier Departmental Council, the school is experimenting with a complete renaturation of its outdoor spaces: de-impermeabilization of the ground, creation of green spaces, suitable furniture, rest areas…

The firm Réalités Urbanism and Development facilitated the participatory workshops. “ The architects interacted at a child’s level, notes Véronique Lanceau, the school principal. They treated the students as real clients. ” All suggestions from the eco-delegates were accepted. A 62m² green wall, a shaded pergola that will serve as an open-air gathering place, a re-vegetated ground, a microforest, 520m² of planted flower beds, and 27 trees selected for their suitability to the local climate and urban environment. The result is a design that caters to both student well-being and biodiversity, and is an adaptation to climate change.

Under the light, draining coating that replaced the old black tar, another unseen project was carried out: the complete separation of stormwater and sewage systems, to enable natural rainwater recovery and infiltration.

“ This is most important, and it’s not visible, the principal whispers. Everything was designed to allow water to return directly to the groundwater. ” Science teachers plan to use these installations for their classes: a living, open-air educational tool. At the corner of the buildings, a 5,000-liter tank collects rainwater for watering the plants and can even be used in case of fire.

At the entrance of the school, a medieval garden created ten years ago by the students of the Ulis class (Localized Unit for School Inclusion) was saved just in time at the start of the building modernization works. It was moved from its original location. “ It was the first thing to preserve, says Virginie Bonnet, the school counselor. It includes a greenhouse, an insect hotel… The students love coming here. ” The site is connected to the rest of the greening project, in harmony with the microforest, the vegetated open-air gathering area, and the flower beds planted all around the buildings.

Upon entering the courtyard, one’s gaze naturally falls on a magnificent fig tree. “ It was planted in memory of Samuel Paty ”, the principal points out. The father of the teacher assassinated in 2020 personally planted the tree, a powerful gesture of remembrance and transmission: Samuel Paty attended middle school here, and his father studied in these buildings when they still housed the Normal School of Teachers.

Under the arcades, climbing roses watch over the rebirth of the school courtyard. Some are 80 years old, perhaps older. The landscape architect in charge of the project took care to protect them. “ We even dug to add soil at their base ”, the principal recounts. The students learned about the complexity of such a project. “ They understood that we couldn’t just plant anything, we had to consider heatwaves, maintenance, the lifespan of trees, explains the school counselor. They were very pragmatic. ”

The Departmental Council is investing 900,000 euros in this transformation, funded by the Loire-Brittany Water Agency and the State’s Green Fund. A substantial amount, but considered necessary for an operation that combines climate adaptation, education, and gender equality. What’s next ? The installation of beehives is planned once the plants are well established.

With 480 boarders out of 500 students, the school is open from morning until evening. “ This is not just a place of learning, it’s a place of life, the principal insists. The children needed comfort, shade, places to talk and unwind. ” The old courtyard resembled a prison yard, they claimed. And now, soccer no longer monopolizes the area, allowing for more mixed interactions. Boys and girls play or chat in shaded corners. “ The traffic flow is different, observes the school counselor. We see more small groups, more chatting, and less tension. ”

Even before the plants had fully grown, everyone felt the change: “ The harmony, the brightness, the calm… We never imagined how much the color of the ground could transform everything. ” On the eve of the All Saints’ Day holidays, a group of boys and girls from all grades gathered in the courtyard during lunch break, “ to perform the Halloween dance, inspired by the series ‘Wednesday’ on Netflix ” Célia and Maëva excitedly share.

The Oasis Courtyard project at Charles-Péguy middle school will conclude in the spring of 2026, with the final planting phase. Biology and physics classes will move outside: discussions on biodiversity or the water cycle will take on concrete meaning. Teachers and students are already making the space their own. “ Facing a generation often anxious about the future, this kind of project is invaluable, the principal summarizes. It shows them they can act, transform their environment, and that their ideas matter. ” In this serene courtyard, between the fig tree of remembrance and the budding microforest, the students are learning to inhabit the world.