We understand the rural school as a place of cultural and social dynamism, where, in addition to educational activities, it should serve as a meeting point and exchange with direct participation of the population. 

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The space dedicated to education in this context should be a support that prioritizes and fosters relationships with nearby individuals and the immediate social and physical environment. We believe it is beneficial to propose a social dynamic in which the population is involved in the construction of the school building, as well as in shaping its daily life. 

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Viewing the school as a relational, inclusive, and pluralistic space will aid in its communal appropriation, making it a representative space of the society it serves. We envision the Rural School as an authentically collective space, open to education, use, enjoyment, encouragement, and social activity. The rural school is not merely a container of activities but a facilitator of activities. 

 

THE PROPOSAL 

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In response to the need for a building that supports the aforementioned social activities, we define three basic spatial qualities that should be part of the architectural proposal. 

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Covered space: defined as the areas of classrooms, multipurpose rooms, and services. 

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Semi-covered space: a flexible area for various uses, undefined, serving as a backbone and protagonist of the building. 

Outdoor space: where outdoor activities are developed and encouraged. 

 

PHASING AND GROWTH 

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The relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces is resolved through various situations. Transitions, blurred boundaries, the gallery, facilitate expansions and stimulate outdoor experiences. The tree as the minimal indispensable element for conducting a class, a meeting. This references the experiences of the rural house. 

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We design a minimal, repeatable module that provides flexibility to the building, both in use and in growth. The multipurpose room can be expanded linearly according to the number of additional classrooms.

 

CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

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In order to ensure a construction process that takes the least possible time, while also achieving an economical building, we minimize the number of construction elements. 

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Foundation: The concrete slab resolves comprehensively the foundation of all school elements; we also use it as the finished floor. 

Roof - Facade: We project the roof and facade with self-supporting trapezoidal sheet profiles (see section). We design the supporting structure so that it can be realized with either metal profiles or wooden beams, depending on availability in the building's location. The roof effectively and simply resolves the waterproofing and solar shading issues of the building.

 

Enclosures: The vertical enclosure of the rooms is simple as it does not need to address waterproofing issues, therefore it is resolved with hollow bricks 18 cm thick, which can be replaced by other types of blocks (for example, concrete blocks) depending on availability in the area. 

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The ceiling is suspended and contains the necessary thermal insulation. The building has very low maintenance costs, as the chosen materials are durable over time. 

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While the materials chosen for the roof are not native, they open up the possibility of participation, donation, and sponsorship from companies dedicated to the metallurgical industry. 

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We propose collecting rainwater and reusing it according to the needs of the building's location, as well as storing gray water for irrigation reuse.

 

Project details:

1st Prize CEDU - CAYC Competition Preliminary Design of a Rural School. 

Authors: Arq. Ezequiel Muñoz - Arq. Adrián Olivero. 

Date: 2009 

Area: 600m2

Location: Misiones, Argentina.