Nursery School in Pamplona / Larraz Arquitectos

Dec 2009

Uploaded by Nico Saieh — Filed under: Educational ,Selected , Javier Larraz, Kindergarden, Larraz Arquitectos, Spain, Steel

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Architect: Larraz Arquitectos
Location: Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
Collaborator: Juan Miguel Garcia, architect
Technical Architects: Atec Aparejadores
Engineering: Naven Ingenieros
Structure: FS Estructuras
Builder: HNV
Client: Ayuntamiento de Pamplona
Project Area: 1,519 sqm
Proyect Year: 2009
Photographs: Iñaki Bergera

The impressive potential acquired by a child in its first years of life leads us to think deeply about the responsibility of designing an elementary school. We firmly believe in the pedagogical value of architecture and in its capability to generate spaces where, in combination with a proper educational task children can both grow and develop themselves in a stimulating, appealing and safe way during their first three years.

The building is located at the NW side of the new neighborhood of Buztintxuri (Pamplona) within an area including three additional public buildings.

situation plan

The main axis of the plot is on a north-south direction. West orientation, where the main entrance is placed, is disturbed by the loud traffic noise generated in the nearby heavily used outer ring. The west façade acts as a boundary with the adjacent plot.

Based upon these circumstances we decided to organize the building as a series of four parallel bodies in which fully built and empty areas are alternated.

A first body, accommodating administration and services, is placed at the outer public west side, and it accomplishes a filtering role against external noise. Access to the building through the main entrance takes place at one of the edges of this first body; a roofed conservatory and a small garden are sited in this area for the purpose of dignifying the way in.

The empty central space has an intense natural illumination through a skylight clearly emerging over the rest of the building. This generates a double height space that vertebrates the building as a whole: the corridor or meeting point that provides access to the various learning modules. Linearity of this space is interrupted by the kitchen and the central workshop that will try to catch the attention of the children.

A third body contents the infantile areas, grouped into four modules according to the children’s ages. In each module, optimum integration between classroom, workshops, refectories, toilettes and bedrooms is searched in order to guarantee both proper and natural ventilation and illumination in every room.

Lastly, the external backyard is thought as a prolongation of the space of the classrooms through the opening of large windows. A two meters eaves allows the covered circulation at the same time that it protects the classrooms from the summer sun. The orientation of the backyard guarantees not only the presence of the sun inside the building but also the desired privacy trying to avoid the external traffic. The use of different colours and textures (concrete, rubber, rolling stones, grass and wooded area) lets us create suggestive and varied playing spaces for children.

section

Double Scale

The organization of the inner space of the classrooms as well as the design of the furniture has been planned taking into account both children’s and their educators’ different perceptions of spaces.

On one hand, children’s activities are organized based upon several series of thematic ‘corners’ perfectly adapted to their scale where they can develop different activities in a flexible way. As a result of this, massive and maladjusted spaces to work by groups of different sizes are avoided.

On the other hand, educators must have children under visual control from any point of the classroom.

Structural Lattice

West façade is protected against the direct evening sun through a structural lattice composed by vertical slats which are basically created by steel rhombus-shaped section pillars.

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: © Iñaki Bergera

: situation plan

: floor plan

: elevation 01

: elevation 02

: section

Cite:
Saieh , Nico . "Nursery School in Pamplona / Larraz Arquitectos" 28 Dec 2009. ArchDaily. Accessed 10 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/44571>

Comments (8)
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Jul says:

Great project!Love the materials and colours

# December 29, 2009 at 03:50

Sudersan says:

somehow i ve a feeling this is too bland to be a primary school.
a school ought to kindle the imagination of the kids… enclosing them in a sterile(atleast, looks like that…)atmosphere is not going to do them any good.. i would ideally prefer somethin that is more open….

# December 29, 2009 at 05:34

Marta says:

Javier and Juan Miguel,
Let me congratulate you on your great project and effort.
A beautiful building and wonderful photos.

# December 29, 2009 at 08:06

Sergio Portuense says:

Excelent proyect, I´m really surprise, thanks for showing us your creation. Congratulations, I´m sure very soon we´ll see new projects yours in this web.
Congratulations again.

# December 29, 2009 at 16:13

Richie says:

It seems a bit austere for a school for infants.. I’ve noticed several of these schools for young kids lately which use the gleaming white interior colour scheme which seems more suitable for a minimal art gallery or a lab or something. I like to imagine the kids scrawling all over the building with their crayons and ruining the architect’s pristine white spaces!

# December 29, 2009 at 17:41

aa4 says:

to Richie, that’s exactly what they will do so let the architects enjoy those pristine white walls while the architectural photographer’s work lasts.Joke aside, I do enjoy the over all programmatic distribution of the space. It really seems to speak to the pedagogical needs of the school as well as create a sense of “playground” for the children to grow in. Good job.

# January 9, 2010 at 10:54

S. DE MOLINA says: