Dos Plátanos School

Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco

DOS PLÁTANOS SCHOOL

Murmuro

ARCHITECTS
Murmuro

TEAM
Tiago Araújo, Pedro Rodrigues, Francisco Calheiros

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
João Caldas

MANUFACTURERS
Cerâmica Vale da Gândara

ENGINEERING
TDP engenharia

AUTHORS
João Caldas, Rita Breda

CLIENT
Colégio dos Plátanos S.A.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Pedro Nuno Pacheco

AREA
1850 m²

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Sintra, Portugal

CATEGORY
Schools

Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco

Text description provided by architect.

Dos Plátanos is a school in Sintra which educates children from the age of 3 to 14; the project consists of the expansion and reorganization of the school.

Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco

Having acquired a set of low quality buildings east of the existing school, the client intended to demolish them and expand the school complex eastwards, adding a series of new classrooms, complementary spaces and sport facilities.

During the design phase the client changed course and decided to maintain the east buildings and commissioned a new construction of smaller scale, connecting the east and west buildings, the construction had to occur in two phases, allowing for a reduced investment as our country was facing an economic crisis.

This decision also required the development of an intermediate structural solution and controlled demolitions in order not to interrupt the daily school operation; only with the conclusion of the second phase would the entire complex be fully articulated.

Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco

The new building is simultaneously a connection and articulation point; connects the east and west buildings and articulates the levels of the south outdoor courtyard, the sports area to the north and the covered outdoor area to the east.

The client set the use of natural ventilation as a requisite, as well as the protection of the northern openings, given the proximity to the sports area.

We chose to create a permeable brick facade that allows air to flow for the natural ventilation of the building, illuminates the northern rooms, protects the windows and hides the necessary ventilation grids.

Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco

To the south exterior shading slabs and interior screens were used in order to control the light intensity in the classrooms.The concern with materiality is also foreseen inside the building; the preschool classrooms are covered in cheerful, bright colored panels.

The walls are also coated with a material that simultaneously allows acoustic conditioning and the display of the children’s works, in an attempt to enhance the appropriation of the space. The outside spaces will be designed later on.


Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco


Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco
Dos Plátanos School
© Pedro Nuno Pacheco


Dos Plátanos School
Diagrams


Dos Plátanos School
Plan - Ground Floor
Dos Plátanos School
Second Floor Plan and Elevation

Dos Plátanos School
Third Floor Plan and Section
Dos Plátanos School
Sections