Dance School in Oleiros

A Coruña, Spain

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Dance School in Oleiros

A Coruña, Spain

Firm

NAOS ARQUITECTURA

Type

Educational › Other

YEAR

2011

. PHOTOGRAPHER: ROI ALONSO / NAOS ARCHITECTURE / OGMIOS PROYECTO S.L.

The Municipal School of Dance in Oleiros is a freestanding building with a ground floor and a simple volumetric shape, in accordance with a clear programme of requirements. Two different volumes hold the different uses of the building and separate the main operation areas. In plan view, it is a compact building in the plot optimising surfaces and access.

In elevation view, the different needs of the main rooms are solved by designing different volumes, both in shape and height, and also in materials.

The internal operation demands a clear functionality in the design of spaces, as well as routes and movements. According to the programme’s development, it is essential to provide in just one building, a school of dance with a wide offer of activities to satisfy its public in just one building.

In terms of energy efficiency, the proposed building has been designed with the aim of taking full advantage of natural energetic resources. On the other hand, featuring the durability and low cost of maintenance, the design was focused to optimise the used materials. The issue is to facilitate and make possible the future profitability of the investment.

In this sense, the plot’s orientation and the lack of nearby buildings become a valuable advantage. The building is faced to the south which helps to efficiently use sunlight.

Therefore, a building facing North-South organised in two volumes clearly differentiated in terms of height and materials is projected in order to separate the main operation areas. These volumes are placed in the same visual line and they overlap in a connection point.

The lower one hosts the public rooms and the transition zones to dance studios: hall and waiting area, administration / management zone, changing rooms and small classrooms. Lager spaces are required for the dance studios that are located in the highest volume.

The plot’s topography, with a slight southwards slope, enables the construction of a semi-basement; the perfect space to install the facilities rooms and the storage location and connected to the rest of the building through a forklift. The interior layout of the edifice was designed to avoid mixing internal routes for the staff with those for the centre users, what enhances the operational efficiency of the school.

The entrance is placed in the north façade of the construction, projected with a concourse and a waiting area. In the common building, two changing rooms for students let parents come in directly from the hall while providing access to dance studios. Furthermore, there are two more changing rooms for the teachers for both male and female, respectively.

In terms of academic offer, there are four studios to practise dance. In addition, two smaller classrooms were designed, one for musical activities and the other one working as a video and music library.