School Center Paredes Alenquer
School Center Paredes includes original artwork and interplay with outside space
The School Center has been designed to accommodate around 600 children, from the ages of three to nine. Within the school, the children are divided by the 1st cycle, kindergarten and ATL (Leisure Activities). The first floor consists of administration areas, service and a reception for parents whilst the ground floor contains a gymnasium and the majority of the school classrooms, with a direct link to the playgrounds (both covered and uncovered).
School Center Paredes is composed of a white volume resting on four black volumes, thus marking the separation between floors. The majority of the project works around the creation of three patios/playgrounds and the relationship of the building with the slope of the existing ground. Contact with the outside was key to this project, with the organisation and shape of the interior space allowing all circulations to enjoy a large amount of natural light. By including a number of covered outdoor spaces, the building now provides excellent leisure facilities for children in all seasons. Several wall paintings in the playgrounds and atriums were carried out by artists invited by the designer in an attempt to enrich the interior space.
The building structure is in concrete and the exterior walls are made with the ventilated facade system. The black panels are Slate Stone ( from Portugal) and white panels are "Estremoz" marble stone (from Portugal).The rest of the exterior walls are covered with a white cement covered with micro marble stones. The roof is covered with ventilated white thermal plates made of cement and roof mate. In the interiors we applied hydraulic mosaic floor in the corridors and vinyl flooring in classrooms and school offices. The Ceilings are in plasterboard with acoustic correction. the Wall paintings are done in vinyl from "vescom". The school is equipped with solar panels.
