ESAIL was founded in 1984 by Jean Cottin, architect DPLG, a former student of Tony Garnier. It now offers two courses: a 3-year-course in interior design and a 5-year-course in interior architecture. Recognized by the state and the CFAI (French council of interior architects), ESAIL offers practical training to its students who will complete a mandatory internship during each year of their studies.

The curriculum is designed to challenge and develop the abilities of the students. It leads them to experience the synthesis of these abilities through the implementation of their project. Depending on the year of study, the levels of synthesis will be different in order to gradually lead the students towards managing increasingly complex data. In the end, the student must be versatile and flexible in a way that he/she will be able to respond to the diversity of situations to be dealt with at the professional level. The expertise requirements of the profession are reflected in the curriculum. The school seeks to be constantly in touch with the professional world by calling on professionals as teachers, through internships or through school exercises with real clients.

ESAIL also wishes to remain on a human scale. It aims to be a place propitious to communication, where the atmosphere is in favor of a dynamic and significant personal investment. Work with passion and rigor to be ready to enter the professional world.