He called our services says the Director

It all begins with a drawing. "Our candidates are placed in a large hall that they represent," says Jean-François de Boiscuillé, Director of the national superior school of nature and the landscape of Blois (ENSNP). Then they eat the same space, seen by a snowman "playmobil" nestled in a tangle of objects. "This change of view is crucial to understand the diversity of the scales that must collect a landscape," he said.

Of course, the future landscape engineers learn Botany, ecology and physical geography, engineering techniques and the social sciences and humanities. But graphic arts maintain a wide place in the curriculum. The school cultivates creativity. "It is their difference in their professional lives," he assured. Among candidates for entry into this young school from the France, a few students of schools of art and design are able to pass the test of selection and then alongside pure scientists and a majority of BTS development landscape, from the S stream in high school. Smoothing his thin moustache, Jean-François of Boiscuillé reigned in referring to this mixture of population.

Projects in Berlin and Libya

"Our 135 students are rooted in the reality of their future profession." In the second year, 70 of the work are sponsored by local communities and businesses. Our students are directly more consciously to owners. In return, they participate in the financing. "And accept willingly given the quality of refunds", tells Jean-François of Boiscuillié.

If a majority of subjects is based on territories of the Centre region, the end of cycle studies disperse students in the hexagon. The rehabilitation of the railway line between Marseille and Aubagne, conversion and development of areas of activities in Lyon, La Rochelle, Angers, Aurillac, projects in Berlin and since this year in Libya, in the desert... "A graduate of our first promotion in 2000 is now tasked to develop spaces in the Libya." "He called our services", says the Director. Grade three teams have thus worked on a project of urban park in Tripoli. Not a small garden at the corner of a street. It's 100 acres adjacent to a new neighbourhood on the outskirts of the capital. In the end, the twenty-five degree 2009, divided into three groups, proposed an urban oasis, reusing waste for the construction of the neighbouring district, providing groundwater while rehabilitating indigenous plant species.

"In five years, our students are able to diagnose a territory, to identify the issues, needs, actors and provide a programme of work", defines Jean-François of Boiscuillé.

The former chocolate factory Colt

And because a landscape school must have a beautiful showcase, the ENSNP started by imagining his own site. Housed in barracks since 1995, school has integrated the old chocolate factory Colt in the heart of Blois back to 2007. This impressive industrial building erected on the heights of the old city was to be destroyed. But Jean-François de Boiscuillé resisted. Assisted by the Agency of architecture Canal, this Professor of architecture (he taught also at Paris since 1970) designed "his" school: a loft with the ubiquitous concrete spirit, of large classrooms, a "cafèt" in the hall. Behind a façade of alternating brick and glazed, the ENSNP exudes modernity and originality.

Around a pole-fungus in the centre of the building, columns apart to support floors of the three levels. This rare process in France, dating from the beginning of the twentieth century, is the work of the Swiss engineer Robert Maillart.

The Historic Monuments classified the building in respect of the industrial heritage. And as everything back to sketches, Jean-François of Boiscuillé retains the new foal district plans as it had designed them with Jack Lang, very close to his Office.

Find the articles of the series of summer on www. gulfdailynews January. FR