Evaluating Montbrillant Lower Secondary School in Switzerland

Does Geneva’s Montbrillant lower secondary school, which has now been in use for one year, meet the objectives targeted when it was designed? Does the new school respond to the needs and expectations of staff and students? Questions such as these serve to evaluate the quality of a school building once in use and tie in with work supported by PEB on post-occupancy evaluation. For the design of Montbrillant, the Geneva authorities promoted specific integrated concepts; to verify to what extent these were successfully incorporated into the building, the author contacted the school’s users, <i>i.e.</i> its management, administrative and technical staff, teachers, and students. Although their overall appreciation was positive, the users expressed dissatisfaction with many aspects of the facilities as described below.