An architecture that while being of current-day style is reminiscent of the forms and groupings of typical architecture in the south of Chile. An architecture that is sustainable, that communicates with its surroundings, and that through the placement of the buildings, creates the spaces for social interaction that are necessary in education.
The plot of land exists in two clear zones.
1. The original area where the old Ernesto Pinto school was located, on the lower level of the plot. It is the foundation of the school and has a strong presence toward the and within the city.
2. The new area located on the upper part of the plot which allows for the vistas that the buildings take advantage of.
The school is organized in the following manner:
The original entry to the school is preserved due to its strong presence in its surroundings. It contains the access hall, administration and the library. The pre-kindergarten educational area is also located in this building, near the parental access point.
The upper level of the plot hosts all the typical programmatic needs of a school. This is the area in which students from 1st to 8th grade attend their lessons. This area includes parking for large events, a gymnasium, a cafeteria, classrooms, science laboratories, studios for the arts, and other non-standard classrooms.
Southern architecture in Chile consists primarily of barns, houses, and ranch-style homes, all of which are found throughout the area. The unregulated placement of simple and functional homes that provide protection from the elements and the linear nature of the spaces all served as references for the design of the school. These characteristics created a clear reference for reinterpretation into a present-day style.
The project is planned as a whole and expressed through four volumes that respond to varying programmatic needs: access, classrooms, meeting rooms, and the gymnasium among others. The orientation of the volumes is dictated by three factors: vistas, north in respect to the volume, and protection from the elements.
The volumes of the schools seek to be clear, austere, and rational. Differentiating one cycle from the other, shortening perspectives and provoking diverse areas of attention to the natural and architectural landscape.
The conception of the interior space designed on solutions based in traditional architecture. The galleries as an expression of sustainable architecture to generate intermediate spaces that reclaim views of the local landscape and that serve as covered patios with the purpose of creating areas for students that are welcoming. These galleries also act as a climate control element that uses north-facing windows to absorb the heat an light of the winter and generate natural ventilation in the winter.
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