BAT Architecture's proposal is located on a plot that required a dialogue with a pre-existing listed building, conducting a study that recovers Muskiz's educational history. As a result, special attention was paid to preserving and integrating the old stone arches of the Cantarrana School (CEIP Pedro Cantarrana), giving them a prominent place in the new entrance plaza.
The project was conceived with the need to implement industrialized construction systems to reduce both construction times and construction waste. Therefore, the two longitudinal volumes that comprise the extension project were constructed with a cross-laminated timber structure, which offers thermal and acoustic benefits, as well as considerable environmental advantages. The new Muskiz IES represents a model of sustainable educational architecture, ready for future generations.
Muskiz High School expansion and renovation by BAT Architecture. Photograph by Aitor Estevez.
Project description by BAT Architecture
Architecture for the well-being and education of the future
The IES Muskiz is a next-generation infrastructure: efficient, flexible, and environmentally friendly, capable of adapting to current teaching needs and the changes in future education. The project was developed by a specialized multidisciplinary team, which included expert consultants in sustainability, installations, and prefabrication from the early stages. Using a Lean methodology, active collaboration with industrial and technical agents was promoted from the early design phases, incorporating innovative solutions at every stage of the process.
One of the pillars of the project was the commitment to industrialized construction systems, which significantly reduced construction times and construction waste, while ensuring high standards of safety and quality of finishes.
"Our goal was to create a building that conveys calm and well-being: abundant natural light, open spaces that encourage relationships, and a quiet and comfortable environment. We wanted to demonstrate that sustainability is not only about energy efficiency, but also about quality of life for those who learn and work here."
Peru Cañada, Founding Partner of BAT
Constructive Innovation: Wood and Industrialized Processes
Located on a plot conditioned by the presence of a pre-existing building, the new institute is organized into two longitudinal volumes that converge in a central space dominated by a large open staircase that articulates the center's life. The cross-laminated timber structure offers thermal, acoustic, and environmental advantages, with significant savings in CO₂ emissions and up to 90% lower energy consumption than a conventional building.
Heritage and Memory: The Arches of Cantarrana
As a gesture of recognition for Muskiz's educational history, the old stone arches of the Cantarrana School (CEIP Pedro Cantarrana) have been preserved and integrated, and now occupy a prominent place in the school's new entrance plaza. This heritage element connects past and present and transforms the complex into a true educational campus.
"This project demonstrates that public construction in the Basque Country can be ambitious, efficient, and innovative, aligned with European best practices."
Xabier Arranz, Founding Partner of BAT
Sustainability as the Core Design
The new Muskiz High School has been designed under Passivhaus standards, an international benchmark in sustainable construction. The design combines high-performance thermal insulation, thermal bridge control, airtightness, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, ensuring constant comfort for students and teaching staff.
A benchmark in a trajectory in education
The completion of the Muskiz High School adds to BAT's decade of experience in educational architecture. In 2023, the studio opened the Colegio Americano Brewster in Madrid, and in September of this year will open a new campus in La Moraleja. With Muskiz, BAT reaches its tenth constructed school project, consolidating a line of work that combines sustainability, quality design, and solutions adapted to new pedagogies. Furthermore, the GOe building, which will be inaugurated this October 20 in San Sebastián in collaboration with the Basque Culinary Center, will also integrate training and innovation spaces, reaffirming BAT's international vocation to develop environments that inspire learning and creativity.
