The new Escola Verde unit is located on Canal 6, 50m from the seafront. In addition to its proximity to the beach, its position on the block also brought important elements to the design: it is located between the high rise buildings facing the sea and a row houses facing the mainland. The school building therefore acts as a liason point between neighbors and seeks ways to relate to the street, the canal and the sea.

The 4,500.00 m2 building is divided into 4 floors: the ground floor (elevated by 1.20 m to protect the building from variations in water levels and improve the relationship between this floor and the view of the canal) is organized by a covered patio with double height, that crosses the building longitudinally and houses more the collective programs. On the 1st floor are the administrative spaces and the two upper floors are dedicated to classrooms, laboratories and art rooms, accessed by a large supporting space. The roof, completely free, serves as a large open square that allows for multiple uses and is extensively related to the surrounding view.

In order to speed up construction, the construction method adopted was precast concrete with ecological bricks and aluminum frames. Such materials were left in sight and, like the installations, confer a didactic character in its construction and facilitate its maintenance. For sun protection, two types of brise were installed: on the ground floor we have a perforated metal sheet that marks the most collective spaces; on the upper floors we designed horizontal brises with a metallic structure and flower boxes.

Team:
Architect: Company name: GOAA – Gusmão Otero Arquitetos Associados
Collaborators:Ricardo Gusmão, Guido Otero, Beatriz Dias (coordenadora), Clara Troia,Tomas Vannucchi, Cassio Peres, Marina Pimenta, Rubens Oliveira
Photographer: Pedro Kok

Used materials:
Facade cladding: Ecological Bricks, Perfurated Metal Sheet
Flooring: Concrete
Doors: Wood and aluminium
Windows: Aluminium
Roofing: Concrete slab
Interior lighting: Stone
Interior furniture: Stone



