ATLAS

Images reference

MACRO AND MICRO LANDSCAPE

The territory of Castenaso’s flat and the deep history linked to it are intertwined with contemporary sensitivity. Through the eyes of two living artists - Luigi Ghirri and Giorgio Morandi - it is possible to trace a deep bond with the places and the new settlement. The objects in Morandi's idea are deep close to the rural architecture of the Terre di Pianura, by assonance and similarity.

CONCEPT

objects on the plane from the Villanovan vase to the city

SETTLEMENT PRINCIPLE

By intertwining the archeology of Villanovan civilization and Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, it is possible to identify a settlement principle for the school complex. The principle is based on the concept of objects in the plane. Circular and square shapes, juxtaposed with each other, follow different heights and materials, and give life to a contemplative composition. The disposition of these forms can be seen, by analogy, as the construction of the city.

Plarization of the site

According to the guidelines of the Masterplan, the site of the Middle School is located at the center of a dense network of material and immaterial relationships: the landscape, the city, the campus and the future sports center dialogue with the distribution structure of the building.

Redesign of the painting

The contemplative and compositive dimension of Giorgio Morandi’s pictures is extracted and reworked into still life creating a first settlement principle.

Position in the site project

The plan obtained from the painting is adapted to the project site by touching its edges.

Multiplication of the settlement principle

Through an additive logic, the built surface of the school is completed in a coherent and organic way, while retaining the simplicity of the regular forms.

Function catalog

Organization according to the functional mix and flows

The functions of the school have been analyzed as a catalog and associated respecting the form which guarantees the greatest flexibility and uniqueness.

The arrangement of the volumes and the functional programs are articulated and juxtaposed in a complex way, intercepting as many trajectories as possible.

The school expands to touch the boundaries of the project and to enable relationships also with the public spaces and the spines of the masterplan paths. The margins become sensitive to every school user.

Arrangement along the margins

Everything is didactic

The school offers opportunities for knowledge and experience, in order to stimulate interest and curiosity and to create a school that gives children confidence and stimulates their curiosity.

Accessible roofs

1. Study of sustainability and technology through solar panels and the rainwater recovery system 2. Astronomy classroom 3. Hydroponic cultivation for self-consumption 4. Observation point in the surrounding landscape

Ibrido campus

Laboratories and common didactic spaces allow a natural flow of students in the building, as if it was a campus.

Tradition and innovation

These two levels overlap in the school layout. Conventional classrooms come together with laboratories and special programs of an innovative teaching (open classrooms, work group, training).

Mix laboratories, classrooms and common areas

The educational experience takes place everywhere in the building, because something can be learned in every space. Laboratories, classrooms and aggregation spaces are spreaded like in a campus

School as a geographic map

The student is free to choose his own path between the entrance and the place he needs to reach, thanks to the sequence of common spaces, recreational areas and individual study places.

A combination between classrooms and laboratories

In order to have an interdisciplinary and innovative teaching approach, there are different laboratories that investigate different areas of knowledge. For example, the informatic laboratory is next to the language laboratory, as well as the scientific laboratory is next to the music laboratory

Special ed class and deepening classes

Completely different kinds of classrooms from the ones for frontal lessons. They are small open classrooms near the traditionals, for a more specialized work.

Collective and individual spaces

The school’s public spaces allow the students to create groups and meet during the recreational time, as well as isolate themselves when they need to concentrate on individual tasks. Public spaces teach the living together education and help the students’ social development, that is why they are the main focus of the school’s program.

Orientative school

The laboratories, classrooms and meeting spaces are distributed to create an internal "campus" landscape. The Layout as a geographical map pushes each student to trace their own trajectory between the entrance and the didactic proposal.

Main path and flows

The main entrance intercepts the pedestrian flow from the Parco Lineare and Piazza delle Scuole. Instead a small shelter with a bicycle parking welcomes the flow of the east bike path. At north, in front of Piazza dello sport, there are the entrances of the gym and of the changing rooms.

Access and entrance

There are four main entrances: one for the school, one for the gym, one for the board of education e and for the cafeteria. The accesses in correspondence of the key points make it easier to orientate in the new school campus.

Atrium

At the centre of the school there is the big atrium, the main public place, with an auditorium and a library.

Classrooms and laboratories

The classrooms are located in the rectangular bodies of the school building to ensure flexibility and functionality. The special programs and collective spaces are distributed in the round shapes of the building.

CLASSIC CONCEPT

flexibility and functionality

Organization within Middle School

Classes are organized in groups of three or in multiples

Walls and dividers

The dividing walls between corridor and classrooms are equipped with continuous furniture to contain teaching materials. The dividers between one class and another are movable and retractable to create larger spaces.

Natural and low tech material

Within the classrooms, wood is favored as a wall and floor covering material. Recyclable and natural. Inside the classroom, a magnetic wall will also be used to attach posters and maps.

LABORATORIES CONCEPT

uniqueness and panoramic views

Organization within Middle School

The laboratories are seamlessly integrated with the classrooms, but isolated as independent units.

Placement

The laboratories are mainly located on the ground floor to allow using them even after school hours and to be open to the city.

Educational offer

The laboratories for the Castenaso middle school are Art, Music, Computer Science, Cooking, Astronomy, Botany, Gym

The cluster organization of the school building allows great freedom of compartmentalization of functions. The school becomes a fundamental meeting point even outside class hours and is perfectly integrated and recognizable in the urban fabric.

The buildings in their organizational composition remain singularly joined structural units and seismically work as simple structures with regular behavior.