Baldiri Reixac public school occupies Count Güell's former residence and surroundings, where Park Güell was conceived in 1900. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
TRANSFORMATION PROJECT
1. PEDAGOGICAL REQUIREMENTS
The first strategy is to consider the courtyard as part of the educational unit through a great variety of amenities and routes as well as specific learning areas like music station, painting workshop, orchard, sports court, amphitheater and reading hammocks.
2. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND EXTRAORDINARY HERITAGE
Gaudí’s permanent research to merge work of art and nature in Park Güell is a starting point for this project’s formal language. This intervention explores on natural earthy colors, organic and polygonal geometries, ruled and parabolic surfaces, wooden furniture, Mediterranean vegetation, and the interpretation of natural elements with artificial materials.
3. LEARNING PROCESS
The courtyard seeks to be a source of knowledge. Teaching about respect for the environment, awareness on water management, joint responsibility over a collective good, inclusion of gender, cultural and social diversity. The amphitheater and the hammock areas are perfect for sharing knowledge. The Biotope Garden’s water collection cycle promotes biodiversity: children can learn about flora and fauna. The courtyard behaves as a small Mediterranean botanical garden: bush cover, tall shrubs, and humid undergrowth.
4. SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC FACILITY MANAGEMENT
The project achieves low maintenance / long lifespan using heat-treated wood form selective logging of European trees, mass-colored concrete allowing polishing, use of low water consumption native vegetation, draining granular surfaces and LED lighting with photoelectric automation.