The school with a wooden roof is located in a suburb of Valencia. The building was designed by architects from Gradolí & Sanz Arquitectes. The architects took advantage of the terrain and set the main entrance not towards the city, but towards a ravine, which allowed the building to open up to the landscape.
The school is not a simple building. The building consists of many parts and is architecturally rich. The functional layout alone is an example of the designers’ original approach. The children enter the school by walking through the pine forest on raised wooden walkways. They look at the building through the treetops. There is no abrupt transition with a gate, just a gradual journey from the town to the educational building.
The school was built in an ‘S’ shape. This shape made it possible to create outdoor spaces for learning and play. The architects managed to create a playground connected to nature. This layout meant that each classroom overlooks a ravine and pine forest, fostering a visual connection with nature.
The classrooms were divided into five distinct areas, allowing pupils to move freely according to their interests and needs. There is a sensory area, a practical life area, a language area, a mathematics area and a cultural studies area.
Each classroom is accessed by an entrance with lockers and benches, where children remove their shoes and outerwear. A low arch in the wall marks the entrance, designed to the scale of the pupils. This makes the transition to the educational space intuitive and welcoming. The classrooms extend around a common area that is more than a corridor. With extended areas, nooks, balconies and walkways overlooking the playground, it transforms into a place to meet, work and play.
When designing the area around the building, the architects wanted to create an attractive space to spend time outdoors. In the eastern part of the site, there is a playground, in the western part there are extended terraces for relaxation. There is no question of evenly cut grass here. The greenery was supposed to be natural. Visible roots, branches, cones and plants replace the artificial turf.
The school was built exclusively with low-impact materials: burnt clay and wood. The 60-centimetre-thick load-bearing walls, made of perforated brick, together with the brick vaults and floors, showcase the raw beauty of the clay. Wood is used throughout the structure, in the roof panels, the partitions – both interior and exterior – and in the joinery.
Concrete is limited to the foundations and steel appears only in selected columns and balustrades. There are no suspended ceilings, no cladding, no engineered floors – nothing is hidden. Exposed brick serves as structure, baffle and finish, embracing its natural texture and imperfections. The building’s mechanical and electrical systems remain visible, allowing students to trace their paths and understand how the school is built and functions. In this way, the building itself becomes an educational tool.
design: Gradolí & Sanz Arquitectes
team: Arturo Sanz, Carmel Gradolí, Fran López
photos: Mariela Apollonio, www.fotografadearquitectura.com
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