The building is located on a plot adjoining the "greenway" of the former railway Girona-Olot. It has a small oak forest of high environmental value, whose conservation affect the entire project.
Therefore, the building is placed parallel to the northern boundary of the plot, away from the oaks. Its location avoids reducing forest sunlight, while opening the views towards the "greenway".
The building volume is divided into two parts: one of three floors containing classrooms and the other of one floor, containing no teaching spaces (dining room, kitchen, dressing rooms and gym). Both volumes are connected through the lobby and a large porch that leads to the sports courts via a ramp.
Younger children's classrooms are located on the ground floor, in connection with its own courtyard, separated from the rest. Generic primary school classrooms are situated on first and second floor facing south, while specific classrooms are oriented to north.
This arrangement helps solar gain in winter and cross ventilation in summer. In addition, it avoids shadow over the playgrounds. Also, the facade of the classrooms are protected by a perforated metal skin. This skin provides the building an excellent climate behavior during the hottest months of the year, and avoiding the glare of its users.
Customer requirements were using pre-industrialized materials to reduce construction schedules. For these reasons we used the following building systems: screwed steel structure, pre-industrialized concrete panels for opaque street facades, and Sandwich panel for light facades.
DATA SHEET
Location: Llagostera. Girona (España)
Project: 2007
Building: 2009
Architects: Jaume Valor, with Marc Obradó and Elisabeth Sadurní
Collaborators: Laura Llimós, Marc Abril, Andrea Gatti, Arquitècnics
Client: GISA i Departament d’Ensenyament, Generalitat de Catalunya
Gross area: 3.800 m2
Builder: Obycall
Photographer: Lluís Sans