The teams of pupils and students from colleges, high schools and higher establishments, supervised by their teacher, were divided into four categories (college, pro, high school, higher), to carry out a collective and collaborative project of construction or planning for a future of smart, sustainable and connected territories, through the following themes: housing, mobility within territories and travel, human activities (culture, industry, education, health, commerce, agriculture, leisure) , environmental preservation, including water and waste management, local and renewable energies. So many subjects on which pupils and students were invited to work.
The competition, which aims to better reflect the richness and diversity of the building and public works trades in all their dimensions, embodies the challenges to which the players in construction and regional planning must respond, particularly in terms of digital, technological and environmental transition.
“The Geniuses of Construction! " also respond to the priorities of the Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports and construction professionals, to promote the promotion of general and vocational training paths, which are both paths of excellence and success , and thus contribute to a better educational and professional orientation of young people, give meaning and concretize the lessons.
A 17th “phygital” edition
The 17th edition of “Génies de la Construction! »Has again adapted with agility to the context of the health crisis linked to Covid-19, with the implementation of an exceptional system, to allow the teams registered in the competition to complete their project.
In order to replace the usual defense of projects in front of a jury, on the occasion of a final organized in person, the project teams were invited to produce a video presentation of their project. The applications were placed on a dedicated platform, so that the juries of the different categories of the competition can evaluate the work remotely and select the winners of the competition from among the projects.

For the second year in a row, open badges were awarded to the winners and participants in the “high school” and “sup” categories. These digital images, which provide an accreditation system, allow recognition of achievements and skills, formal or informal, acquired during a project. For the organizers of the competition, it was important to promote and recognize the commitment of young people in the projects they led.
3.000 students involved in the competition
For this 17th edition of the competition and despite a context of health crisis, 22 academies participated. In total, 3 pupils and students concerned, with 000 classes in 104 colleges, 57 high schools, 15 SEGPAs and 9 teams in higher education.
As in each edition, the projects were assessed on their creativity, feasibility and interdisciplinarity, as well as on their ability to be transposed into a feasible form for concrete application and on their ability to respond to the issues raised by the project. evolution of territories.
The prize list: eight winning projects
Price category "College"
A word from the jury: “The projects were particularly varied and successful. Some teams worked remotely, despite the material constraints related to the production of real models. The richness of the projects presented is based on a remarkable interdisciplinarity, as well as on the intervention of construction professionals. These allowed the students to have a better knowledge of the trades and the technical solutions implemented today. "
1st prize: Capouchine college (Nîmes, 30) | Montpellier Academy
Project "The bioclimatic house"
The project was carried out following a visit to an alternative place to live. It presents the optimization of space for a house, comprising three bedrooms and a large living room, adapting it to the Mediterranean climate to have a very low energy requirement and relying on different bioclimatic systems. The students called on a student architect, the person in charge of Alter Éco and the “little resourceful people”. The choice of technical solutions and materials used is based on a scientific approach, which has led to the production of a model respecting the construction stages and 3D modeling.
2nd prize: Pierre Hyacinthe Cazeaux college (Morez, 39) | Besançon Academy
Project "The restoration of the Château de Buclans"
Based on a historical and literary study of the castle of Buclans (Jura), destroyed by a fire, this project provides for the restoration and rehabilitation of the premises, with a view to making it, in particular, a place of reception of a colony and a cultural space. Framing, layout, accessibility, design of an automated staircase, lighting management and 3D modeling were learned by the students, in part thanks to the intervention of building professionals. The students' presentation has been fully translated into English.
3rd prize: Joseph Julien Souhait college (Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, 88) | Nancy Academy
Project "The inclined plane of Arzviller"
From a historical and geographical study, the societal need for an inclined plane was defined, as well as the functions to which the technical object must meet. The scientific and mathematical study led to the production of an automated, intelligent and remotely controlled model, taking into account in particular operating and safety constraints.
Price category "Pro"
(Students of SEGPA, EREA and 3rd pro prep)
A word from the jury:“In all the projects presented, the interdisciplinary dimension appears clearly. Many technical solutions present in the building and public works sector have been exploited and implemented. "
1st prize: Lubet Barbon college (Saint-Pierre-du-Mont, 40) | Bordeaux Academy
Project "Extension of a studio in eco-materials"
A small studio was built several years ago with materials adapted for the time. The project consists of carrying out an extension, relying on eco-construction. It is also the opportunity for the pupils to analyze the old construction, to identify the weak points and to discover several trades and activities of the professional field "habitat", while being actors of the realization of this extension. Different materials are used to good effect and many current building technologies are discussed.
Mention of "Best interdisciplinarities and pedagogies"
Jean Moulin College (Marseille, 13) | Aix-Marseille Academy
Project "Realization of an English telephone box"
Mention of "Best site and environmental dimensions"
College of Grazailles (Carcassonne, 11) | Montpellier Academy
Project "KOKODO project for a state of emergency in the event of an earthquake"
Prize category "High school"
A word from the jury:“The different teams presented particularly successful projects and studies. The theme of smart, sustainable and connected territories, as well as the societal and environmental issues that refer to it, have been very well taken into account. "
1st prize: Lycée Livet (Nantes, 44) | Nantes Academy
"Student residence" project
The project is based on the construction of a university residence from recycled maritime “containers”. From the study of the societal problem of student housing to the identification of the land, this project led to the architectural design, structural calculations, the choice of materials, simulations (in particular thermal), as well as the modeling of the whole project. The models and simulations unveiled are in progress or even being finalized. The last step, which consists of prototyping and experimentation, will be carried out thereafter.
2nd prize: Gustave Eiffel high school (Armentières, 59) | Lille Academy
Project "Rehabilitation of a water tower"
From a historical contextualization, this project concerns the rehabilitation of the high school water tower, based on the preservation of water resources. The solutions for collecting, filtering, storing and managing water were considered, leading to the production of a functional didactic model controlled remotely.
3rd prize: Saint-Nicolas high school (Paris, 75) | Paris Academy
"Incubator rue du Lac" project
This project concerns the creation of an incubator or co-working space. This space, planned in a new building, occupies the last two floors leading to a roof terrace. The functionality of the spaces, the study of the facades, the thermal simulation, the choice of materials and the lighting solutions made it possible to produce a building automation model.
Mention of the "Best pedagogical approach"
Lycée Aragon Picasso (Givors, 69) | Lyon Academy
Price category "Sup"
(Higher education students: STS, IUT, university, engineering schools, schools of architecture ...)
A word from the jury: “The three award-winning projects perfectly meet the expectations of the competition: diversity, interdisciplinarity, consideration of environmental issues linked to the challenges of construction and land use planning. Each of the award-winning teams was able to carry out collaborative work in a professional approach, with the use of digital tools mastered and bringing into play multidisciplinary skills, which made it possible to justify the constructive solutions proposed. "
1st prize ex aequo: Cergy University (Cergy, 95) | Academy of Versailles
"Building for aeronautical use" project
The project is that of a building for aeronautical use, the design of which relates to two large halls, one intended for the storage of parts, the second for the assembly of light aircraft, supplemented by an office floor. The original architectural research was translated into a digital model, resulting in a structural study, completed by a detailed phasing of the work as well as a dynamic thermal simulation. The project is articulated around two main axes: sustainable development with the constraint of building self-sufficiency and innovation with the maximum use of BIM.
1st prize ex aequo: University of Technology Compiègne (Compiègne, 60) | Amiens Academy
“Smart city” project
The project is based on the deployment of the “Metrocable” in Grenoble, integrating the notion of sustainability, connectivity and intelligence. It includes a station with a redevelopment of the traffic lanes, including the creation of a cycle path, multimodal platforms for buses and trams, a relay car park, planted pools, urban furniture (sports facilities, playgrounds, "Metro Vélo box ”). Documentary research, geotechnical study, modeling, study of materials and analysis of their mechanical behavior were particularly appreciated.
3rd prize: IUT Chambéry (Le Bourget-du-Lac, 73) | Grenoble Academy
Project "The priory of Bourget-du-Lac"
The objective of the project is to renovate one of the three wings of the building of the Priory of Bourget du Lac which was built in the Middle Ages. From the realization of 3D scans of the interior of the building and the assembly of the point clouds, a digital model was obtained. It is from this model that the plans necessary for the building permit were made. The structural study made it possible to determine the loads and take into account climatic actions. The thermal study enabled an analysis with regard to RT 2012. Access to PRMs was considered. This set is completed by the production of documents that can be used in the perspective of future work envisaged by the Municipality.
Mention of "Better involvement of the establishment"
IUT Belfort Montbéliard (Belfort, 90) | Besançon Academy
* The Les Génies de la Construction competition! is organized in partnership between the Ministry of National Education and Youth, the EFB (Fondation École Française du Béton (EFB), the FFB (French Building Federation), the FNTP (National Federation of Public Works), the CCCA-BTP (Committee for consultation and coordination of learning in building and public works) and in cooperation with ASCO-TP (Association for knowledge of public works), as well as with ASSETEC (National association for the teaching of technology), the APMBTP (Association of teachers of construction and public works trades) and AUGC (University association of civil engineering).