In the historic heart of Toulouse, right next to the Place du Capitole, the former Collège de Foix is a building that is both listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments and whose 1457 keep is a listed historic monument. Managed by the Sisters of the Congrégation Notre-Dame de la Compassion, it is home to a number of facilities, including a student residence and an EHPAD - the proposed addition of an EHPAA is therefore in keeping with the building's original purpose. As the 3-storey extension "closes off" a courtyard, LETELLIER Architectes seized the opportunity to turn it into a second courtyard of honour, creating a parallel to the adjoining cloister.

While respecting the pre-existing classical architecture, a great deal of thought was put into the project with the Architecte des Bâtiments de France, in order to propose an architectural language that was both modern and consistent with the old building. The initial idea was to create a façade reminiscent of the surface of water, with its reflections, movements and softness, a metaphor for a peaceful, quiet life. The four levels are clad in interlocking sheets of gold-coloured copper, with random openings. The building is treated as a genuine architectural object, marking a new stage in the continuity of urban development. Copper, a coherent choice of material in a historic site because of its traditional character, plays the role of a skin here. It creates spectacular light effects, with great finesse and elegance, creating a kind of mirror that dematerialises to give pride of place to the original buildings. The sober treatment of the cladding, joinery and shutters has been designed to accentuate this effect. The new building, with its volume and noble materials, blends perfectly into its immediate surroundings and helps to embellish an urban space that was previously "unfinished".