The school project takes measures of low environmental impact by applying various passive strategies such as maximising solar gain in winter, cross ventilation in summer, control of solar radiation and solar lighting through the slope of the roofs, the creation of a bioclimatic mechanism through the organisation of spaces and the definition of light ventilated facades, the production of electricity through photovoltaic solar panels and the use of materials that minimise the CO2 footprint.
"PLA DEL PUIG" School by Coll-Leclerc. Photograph by Adrià Goula.
"PLA DEL PUIG" School by Coll-Leclerc. Photograph by Adrià Goula.
Description of project by Coll-Leclerc
The plot of the Pla del Puig school is located on the southern boundary of Sant Fruitós, between the urban and agricultural areas. We place the proposal to the north of the plot, on the avenue of Sant Joan, which is the consolidated urban facade, leaving free the rest of the plot with good south orientation and a more respectful relationship between the sports court and the playground natural environment. The school will be organised as a transition space between the urban and rural environments, with exterior-interior transition spaces (passageways and courtyards) and with internal relationship spaces that will function as classrooms for free use.
Due to the pre-existence of a new sports court and gymnasium on the same front of Sant Joan avenue, we believe that the building should seek a certain integration so that the façade can be read as a single school complex. The access point is clear, between the two-storey volume of the primary school and the one-storey volume of the nursery block. It is a passage that avoids a continuous 91-metre façade and from which we access the main hall. It also sets back the volumes both in the dividing wall with the neighbouring plot and in the street, avoiding noise, grilles and cushioning the impact of the volume of the school in a more appropriate stairway with the village and the countryside.
The site has a 6-metre slope going up towards the south, i.e. towards the countryside. This and the need to respect the accesses and evacuations of the covered track articulates 3 exterior levels: level 266.20 is the entrance level, passageway, children's playgrounds, and access to the gymnasium and dining room patio. Level 267.80 is the level of the playground, with access from the Brucardes path, and level 269.50 is the upper level of the playground, at the first-floor level and therefore directly accessible from the primary classrooms without having to take the lift. This upper level is in contact with the countryside, the terraces and the existing vegetation of fig and almond trees and is organised with slopes by adding new deciduous trees to provide shade in summer. We took low environmental impact measures: we adapted the plot boundaries to deliver the courtyards with the surrounding topography with slopes in the least impacting way and compensated excavation soils to obtain the right slopes and courtyard levels for a 0 balance.
"PLA DEL PUIG" School by Coll-Leclerc. Photograph by Adrià Goula.
Environmental conditions
Energy: We applied passive strategies recommended by the ICAEN and achieved an energy certification A of 22.73 kW/m2/year and a heating demand of 11.3 kWh/m2/year, well below the 15 kW/m2/year Passivhaus standard:
Maximisation of solar gain in winter. The children's classrooms, foyer, dining room, toilets and interior corridors enjoy solar radiation all morning on the winter solstice, considerably reducing heating demand in winter. Cross ventilation from May to October with a consequent reduction in cooling demand.
Control of solar radiation and daylighting. Simulated with Design-Builder, the slope angle of the pitched roofs is specially graduated to allow solar radiation to enter the infant classrooms and corridor only in winter to avoid glare effect. The openings are protected by motorised, vertically adjustable louvres.
Bioclimatic mechanism: The large central courtyard provides the backbone for both the infant classrooms and the large hall and regulates comfort through evapotranspiration.
The façades are ventilated and light, made of very well-insulated wood/cement boards with a transmittance µ of 0.27W7m2k (≤0.38 CTE). In the openings, we achieve µ: 1.64 (2 CTE) with low emissivity double glazing and solar factor 0.55.
We produce 14kWp on-site with photovoltaic solar panels that we share with the neighbouring sports centre.
Materials. we have sought to minimise the CO2 footprint with a near-zero earth balance. The structure is exposed and durable concrete with all interior finishes reconfigurable in laminated plasterboard between classrooms and natural wood in the corridors. Sound absorption is provided by 100% organic wood fibre material.
