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School in Aosta
School in Aosta
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Other Projects by Barberio Colella Architetti
School in Aosta
School in Aosta – Bioclimatic Design Arts and Music High School in the Aosta Valley
The project for the renovation of the Arts and Music High School in Via Torino, Aosta, stems from the desire to give the city not only a high-performance school building, but a genuine civic element capable of intertwining education and community life. An analysis of the urban, climatic and regulatory context has guided every decision: from the preservation of the existing building’s layout, a choice based on a careful study of the relationship between volume and the local microclimate, to the simplification of the building’s form with an increase in volume, whilst respecting the limits of the building renovation.
At the heart of the project is the sunspace situated on the south facade: a large glazed surface with a timber structure enclosing a triple-height space, designed both as a bioclimatic device, passive heat storage in winter, natural ventilation in summer thanks to carefully calibrated openings and an angle of inclination calculated according to the sun’s path, and as a place fostering connections between the school and the community. Inside the greenhouse, areas for individual study, debating and cooperative learning extend the learning spaces, whilst large plants on the ground floor create a biophilic filter between the interior and exterior, stimulating the students’ physical and mental wellbeing.
The integrated design has made it possible to go beyond the NZEB logic by adopting a regenerative strategy: analysis of the psychrometric chart has identified passive strategies, passive solar heating combined with thermal mass in winter, shading and natural ventilation in summer, calibrated to climate scenarios projected for 2050. The structure is entirely prefabricated in XLAM, clad in wood treated using the Japanese Yakisugi technique (surface charring to increase durability), with triple glazing and a roof optimised for photovoltaic panels integrated into the south-facing slopes. The rainwater harvesting system and connection to the urban district heating network complete the energy strategy.
The profile of the segmented roof echoes the skyline of the mountain ranges on the southern slope, creating a mimicry of the Alpine landscape that is both an architectural feature and a functional solution. The spaces are arranged with a clear hierarchy: administration and classrooms for students with disabilities on the ground floor, the Music School between the ground floor and the first floor, and the arts high school from the second to the fourth floors, with workshops, an exhibition hall and a panoramic rooftop terrace also accessible during after-school hours. The school thus becomes an open civic centre, a porous network of relationships set against the backdrop of Aosta’s natural landscape.
Technical details:
Location: Aosta, Aosta Valley
Year: 2024
Client: Municipality of Aosta
Typology: School architecture, Arts and Music High School
Status: Design competition
Designers: Micaela Colella (group leader), Maurizio Barberio, Angelo Figliola
Contributors: Andrea Sgherza, Italo Boccuto, Giuseppe Tota
The project for the renovation of the Arts and Music High School in Via Torino, Aosta, stems from the desire to give the city not only a high-performance school building, but a genuine civic element capable of intertwining education and community life. An analysis of the urban, climatic and regulatory context has guided every decision: from the preservation of the existing building’s layout, a choice based on a careful study of the relationship between volume and the local microclimate, to the simplification of the building’s form with an increase in volume, whilst respecting the limits of the building renovation.
At the heart of the project is the sunspace situated on the south facade: a large glazed surface with a timber structure enclosing a triple-height space, designed both as a bioclimatic device, passive heat storage in winter, natural ventilation in summer thanks to carefully calibrated openings and an angle of inclination calculated according to the sun’s path, and as a place fostering connections between the school and the community. Inside the greenhouse, areas for individual study, debating and cooperative learning extend the learning spaces, whilst large plants on the ground floor create a biophilic filter between the interior and exterior, stimulating the students’ physical and mental wellbeing.
The integrated design has made it possible to go beyond the NZEB logic by adopting a regenerative strategy: analysis of the psychrometric chart has identified passive strategies, passive solar heating combined with thermal mass in winter, shading and natural ventilation in summer, calibrated to climate scenarios projected for 2050. The structure is entirely prefabricated in XLAM, clad in wood treated using the Japanese Yakisugi technique (surface charring to increase durability), with triple glazing and a roof optimised for photovoltaic panels integrated into the south-facing slopes. The rainwater harvesting system and connection to the urban district heating network complete the energy strategy.
The profile of the segmented roof echoes the skyline of the mountain ranges on the southern slope, creating a mimicry of the Alpine landscape that is both an architectural feature and a functional solution. The spaces are arranged with a clear hierarchy: administration and classrooms for students with disabilities on the ground floor, the Music School between the ground floor and the first floor, and the arts high school from the second to the fourth floors, with workshops, an exhibition hall and a panoramic rooftop terrace also accessible during after-school hours. The school thus becomes an open civic centre, a porous network of relationships set against the backdrop of Aosta’s natural landscape.
Technical details:
Location: Aosta, Aosta Valley
Year: 2024
Client: Municipality of Aosta
Typology: School architecture, Arts and Music High School
Status: Design competition
Designers: Micaela Colella (group leader), Maurizio Barberio, Angelo Figliola
Contributors: Andrea Sgherza, Italo Boccuto, Giuseppe Tota
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