Add To Collection
Add to Collection
Trani School
Trani School
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
View Original
Add To Collection
Add to Collection
Other Projects by Barberio Colella Architetti
Trani School
Trani School – Pope John XXIII Bioclimatic School Complex
The design for the new Pope John XXIII school complex in Trani emerged from the FUTURA competition, the national programme for the regeneration of school architecture. The proposal, which came second (provisional rankings), addresses an urgent issue for the city: the redevelopment of the site of the former school complex, which was closed as a precautionary measure by the local council in 2019, into a new centre for nursery and primary schools capable of becoming an urban hub for the surrounding residential neighbourhood. The building is relocated from its previous site and situated within a new urban park that increases the green and permeable area of the plot, bordered by a service ring road.
The heart of the project is the central agora: a double‑height space featuring a small sunken theatre for alternative educational activities and a semi-circular staircase connecting the two levels. On the ground floor, the agora serves as a reception area; on the first floor, it transforms into an open-plan library with alcoves for individual and group study. This space is not merely a connecting element: it is a bioclimatic device, the large windows and the solid Trani stone flooring accumulate heat during the cold months, whilst the openings at the top create a chimney effect for natural ventilation in summer. The division of the volumes allows access to the agora and the gym even during after-school hours, making the school a meeting point for the neighbourhood.
The building comprises three volumes of varying heights, sloping down towards Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, with a predominantly east-west orientation. All classrooms face east to maximise natural light during school hours, preventing overheating and glare. The nursery school, in the lowest volume, has a separate entrance and classrooms directly connected to enclosed green spaces; the primary school occupies the next two volumes, with spacious and flexible connecting areas. The outdoor space is an integral part of the educational programme: vegetable gardens adjoining the canteen to experiment with locally sourced produce, educational playgrounds, and a recycling centre to raise awareness of the waste cycle. The curved pathways are colour-coded (shades of yellow for the nursery, shades of purple for the primary school) with coordinated plant species.
The load‑bearing structure uses a prefabricated reinforced concrete (RC) system with green low-carbon concrete (CO₂ emissions up to 90% lower than standard concrete), hempcrete insulation, ventilated walls of local stone on the south-facing facades, and foundations on seismic isolators. The building envelope is designed to minimise the urban heat island effect thanks to roofs with a high solar reflectance index and ventilated cavities. The building services aim for energy self-sufficiency with rooftop photovoltaic systems, small-scale wind turbines, energy storage, chilled beams for silent air conditioning and circadian lighting that replicates the variation in natural light throughout the day. The vegetation (mimosas, jacarandas, citrus trees, lavender and rosemary) has been selected for its low water requirements and its role in regulating the microclimate: providing shade, filtering winds and purifying the air.
Technical details:
Location: Trani (BT), Apulia
Year: 2022
Client: Municipality of Trani
Typology: School architecture, Nursery and primary schools
Area: 2,546.63 square metres (gross floor area of the new building)
Status: Design competition
Designers: Micaela Colella (group leader), Maurizio Barberio, Angelo Figliola, Ilaria Cavaliere, Dario Costantino
Awards: Second place (provisional rankings), FUTURA Competition, Papa Giovanni XXIII School
The design for the new Pope John XXIII school complex in Trani emerged from the FUTURA competition, the national programme for the regeneration of school architecture. The proposal, which came second (provisional rankings), addresses an urgent issue for the city: the redevelopment of the site of the former school complex, which was closed as a precautionary measure by the local council in 2019, into a new centre for nursery and primary schools capable of becoming an urban hub for the surrounding residential neighbourhood. The building is relocated from its previous site and situated within a new urban park that increases the green and permeable area of the plot, bordered by a service ring road.
The heart of the project is the central agora: a double‑height space featuring a small sunken theatre for alternative educational activities and a semi-circular staircase connecting the two levels. On the ground floor, the agora serves as a reception area; on the first floor, it transforms into an open-plan library with alcoves for individual and group study. This space is not merely a connecting element: it is a bioclimatic device, the large windows and the solid Trani stone flooring accumulate heat during the cold months, whilst the openings at the top create a chimney effect for natural ventilation in summer. The division of the volumes allows access to the agora and the gym even during after-school hours, making the school a meeting point for the neighbourhood.
The building comprises three volumes of varying heights, sloping down towards Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, with a predominantly east-west orientation. All classrooms face east to maximise natural light during school hours, preventing overheating and glare. The nursery school, in the lowest volume, has a separate entrance and classrooms directly connected to enclosed green spaces; the primary school occupies the next two volumes, with spacious and flexible connecting areas. The outdoor space is an integral part of the educational programme: vegetable gardens adjoining the canteen to experiment with locally sourced produce, educational playgrounds, and a recycling centre to raise awareness of the waste cycle. The curved pathways are colour-coded (shades of yellow for the nursery, shades of purple for the primary school) with coordinated plant species.
The load‑bearing structure uses a prefabricated reinforced concrete (RC) system with green low-carbon concrete (CO₂ emissions up to 90% lower than standard concrete), hempcrete insulation, ventilated walls of local stone on the south-facing facades, and foundations on seismic isolators. The building envelope is designed to minimise the urban heat island effect thanks to roofs with a high solar reflectance index and ventilated cavities. The building services aim for energy self-sufficiency with rooftop photovoltaic systems, small-scale wind turbines, energy storage, chilled beams for silent air conditioning and circadian lighting that replicates the variation in natural light throughout the day. The vegetation (mimosas, jacarandas, citrus trees, lavender and rosemary) has been selected for its low water requirements and its role in regulating the microclimate: providing shade, filtering winds and purifying the air.
Technical details:
Location: Trani (BT), Apulia
Year: 2022
Client: Municipality of Trani
Typology: School architecture, Nursery and primary schools
Area: 2,546.63 square metres (gross floor area of the new building)
Status: Design competition
Designers: Micaela Colella (group leader), Maurizio Barberio, Angelo Figliola, Ilaria Cavaliere, Dario Costantino
Awards: Second place (provisional rankings), FUTURA Competition, Papa Giovanni XXIII School
Product Spec Sheet
Were your products used?
Join as a manufacturer to add your products.