School in Vilanova de Barquinha

Portugal   2007 2011

The programme starts with the creation of a school complex. The facility will also be available for other uses by the community. The brief has been extended to include the creation of a life science centre and other functions that will be used independently. This condition meant that these areasneeded access from the outside. The building creates a boundary that shelters the teaching areas, clustered into age groups in the centre, giving rise to a continuous exterior space. The courtyard, a controlled zone, is an alternative transit system. The spaces are precise volumes with different heights. The programme is laid out to permit different uses and circulation routes. The neutral white spaces, ready to host life, are defined by their size. The same logic is applied to the exterior walls and pavements. The openings all have the same size. The project is developed in a precise way, with very few elements.