CEEP Martinet / Mix Arquitectes

Architects: Mestura Arquitectes
Location: Cornellà de Llobregat , Barcelona, Spain
Design Team: Humbert Costas, Manuel Gómez, Jaime Blanco, Carlos Durán, Josep M. Estapè
Project Year: 2007
Project Area: 3,448.71 sqm
Photographs: Pedro Pegenaute

On a lot of small size, as the standard for this type of center, one floor is organized in a “U” around the kindergarten playground, releasing the rest of the site for the primary playground.

In a first volume of ground floor, in continuity with the primary yard, lie the nursery and primary hallways and all support units of the school.

The classrooms are designed as a three-storey volume in which children’s classrooms, oriented south, have direct contact with its own patio with a porch and elementary classrooms located in first and second floor, which is accessed by a corridor oriented south, north facing light comes from.

A ceramic lattice acts as protection for passive solar south facing corridors giving access to primary classrooms. The faces of these parts most exposed to the sun-glazed surface have 2 ranges of 3 different colors each. The exposed faces west orientation combine a range of 3 color green “spring”, while those exposed in the east combine a range of 3 earthy colors “fall.”

The lattice functions at various scales, from the Ronda de Dalt the main facade of the school is very visible, and becomes a big announcement that is integrated into the landscape of large containers nearby industrial area, while underscoring the middle distance is three-dimensional geometry of the parts. From the inside is a double façade that controls the light and creates a play of light and shadow that changes over time.