New infant extension for the public school “Los Sauces” by Gabriel Verd Arquitectos

Description of the project by Gabriel Verd

Urban environment.- 
In the spur of the provinces of Cadiz and Malaga, in the middle of the South mountain range in the province of Seville, locates a 5,000 dwellers town called El Saucejo.

Its public school takes place in the north of this municipality, at the intersection between Casas de los Maestros street and Osuna road. A low height residence area where emerges the local sport pavilion. 

The plot.- 
The intervention consists in the construction of a new pavilion for child education, adapted to the current regulations for construction (CTE) and education replacing many of the current facilities. This intervention is supposed to be the 1st phase of the adequacy of the center to the C2 model which includes primary studies too.

Nowadays the center is composed by different edifications, an amalgam of volumes which have been growing through the years due to the increase of the child population.

The main building dates from 80’s and englobes administration and primary classrooms. Attached to it there is a lower body which is in poor condition, destined to uses such as dining room, playground’s bathroom and mutual classroom. The center also is disposed of a gym, which generates an exempt volume with a light roof built in mid 80’s.

The original buildings correspond to the two side flanks of the set built in the 50's. These were standard modules of classrooms that in those years were replicated throughout the Andalusian community.

One of these flanks, specifically the adjoining with the Road, is the one that is demolished to accommodate the new extension.

The new extension.- 
The extension accommodatesthe infant classroomsof a two-line C2 type center. As it is a building isolated from the main, it also has the complementary spaces necessary to operate autonomously (warehouse, boiler room and toilets).

The building is organized into three distinct areas, complementary spaces and multi-purpose classroom, a classroom and a new access to the school.

Being a partial substitution, the new building has been seen conditioned by the current configuration of the Center. It was then proposed a linear piece with a porch that works as a dealer and covered patio. In 2nd phase will form part of the communication ring that must join all the pieces that make up the future central courtyard.

The new building also arranges the access to the center. It is supposed to be a clean and direct entrance, which won´t interfere with the teaching activity and playground games. A strong gabled roof volume that marks the milestone of entry gives the Center its new institutional and identifying image.

The profile of the building is related to the environment where the buildings with gabled roofs is the predominant image, resembling also the children's drawings of houses with sloping roofs and bright colors…the school that the children would draw.