Site

Main objective of the Polis intervention in which this project is included, is the city requalification through the creation of an enviromental system created around the Jarda torrent (Linear urban park).
the constrains of the Detailed Plan regarding location of the new building are mainly the implantation area, the area and the requirement of a free ground floor, dictated from the floods maximum level of the existing torrent.

Objectives

To create distinctive areas with different levels of privacy, from public, semi-publics to private.
To create easy accessibility to the building, both physically and visually;
To create visual continuity between the park and the garden area;
To choose a solar orientation which privileges the classroom zones directing them south and simoultainosly relating to the garden and the park.
to operate the division between the working zones (classes and support zones ) through a central corridor which allowed a clear interpretation of the spaces;
to use passive energy systems in the building.

Program

In the ground level, a rithmated volume of opaque and translucides areas, separates the public accesses and the parking zone from the private zone of the children's garden . It also contains the vertical accesses (stairs and elevator) and the technical zones. The vertical accesses converge, in the two upper levels, to a hall which is directly linked to the central corridor. the classromms are found in the southern part whereas the support areas and offices in the northern.
In the first level we can find the kindergarten program (secretariat area,gymnasium and reading room) where the classrooms have a preferencial relation with the garden, through the footbridges that communicate to it directly. At the second level the classes of the study hall (in Portugal divided in two turns morning/afternoon ) and others services. Two volumes are distinguished in the two levels. The bathrooms.

Materials and sustainability

The building is built in white concrete, armed, thrown in yard, being the south side covered with panels of cement agglomerated pigmented sawdust of black color, with volumes which stuck out allowing the solar control as offering a peculiar space for the class activity. The inner face of this structure is covered, almost like a second skin with panels of Thermical insulation, a third skin in bricks protect the insulation panel and guarantees thermal inertia to the inside of the building.
The heating system is based on a mixed system of solar panels and gas boiler, supplying hot water for normal use and to the radiating pavement. The ventilation of the building is induced by the difference of pressure of the forced extraction of the air which take place in the bathrooms modules. The air enters the building through the present systems of grilles included in the thermal fixtures in aluminum. The system that collect the rain water, converges in to a deposit which then redistributes to the flushing system of thr W.C.s beeing also used to water the garden. The deposit, in the absence of rain, is fed from the public net.