Educational Centre in El Chaparral / Alejandro Muñoz Miranda

Oct 2010

Uploaded by Nico Saieh — Filed under: Educational ,Featured ,Selected , Alejandro Muñoz Miranda, Spain

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Architect: Alejandro Muñoz Miranda
Location: El Chaparral, Albolote, Granada, Spain
Collaborators: Gregorio Morenate Navío y Nayra Fernández-Valencia Caballero
Structure: Jesús Muñoz Miranda
Construction Engineering: Patricia Muñoz Arenas
Industrial Engineering: Antonio Blas Pérez García
Artist: Jose Manuel Darro
Client: Cityhall of Albolote
Construction: UCOP
Project Area: 915 sqm
Budget: 617,078.24 €
Project Year: 2010
Photographs: Fernando Alda

The project essentially consists of walls and a ceiling with a variable section; these elements create a sequence of compressed and decompressed spaces.

section 01

The changes in section are determined by use (corridor, classroom access and bathrooms, classroom, porch-outside covered corridor, garden, exterior covered playground) but also by the movement of the sun and the longitudinal slope of the plot. The compression-decompression game works for both longitudinal and transversal space sequences: corridor – classroom and access to the bathrooms – class¬room – porch – garden – outside covered playground as well as classroom – bedroom – classroom.

The orientation creates a tension that is expressed through the system of apertures. The spaces opening towards the North and the courtyard get large window panels, while towards the south and the public, light is admitted only through glazed “cracks”. The fissures corresponding to the corridor and the exterior covered playground are brightly colours, while for the classrooms only clear glass is used. The classrooms are differentiated according to age groups (two classrooms for children up to1 year with bedroom, two classrooms for children from 1 to 2 years with bedroom and three classrooms for children from 2 to 3 years without bedroom). All the classrooms on the same level can be connected for larger group activities. Even if the mobile partitions are closed, visual continuity is still present through the glazed upper parts of the dividing walls.

The whole structure evolves around the exterior covered playground, that becomes the heart of the educational centre, linking the classrooms and the interior circulation with the garden. To the East lie the kitchen and dining areas, the administration and a gym.

On the exterior, the use of white massive volumes makes for an adequate integration in El Chaparral, a district of Albolote that emerged in the 1950s as a colonization village.

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: © Fernando Alda

: floor plan

: elevation

: section 01

: section 02

* Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.

Cite:
Saieh , Nico . "Educational Centre in El Chaparral / Alejandro Muñoz Miranda" 03 Oct 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 23 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/79913>

Comments (8)
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gfjkfj says:

little kids will be stressed with that lighting.

# October 4, 2010 at 06:19

up_today_arch says:

Night view is amazing…

# October 4, 2010 at 17:22

kelly says:

the colors are a bit intense in some of the photos. thankfully the architect designed the actually classrooms to have clear glazing.

so glad to read that the exterior covered playground and garden are the heart of the center. very appropriate for this age of kids. the colored glazing at these areas is a great idea.

# October 4, 2010 at 19:15

CRISTIAN says:

Why is it always when “education” is involved a building colours just pup-up like there were fundamental?
Don`t get it.

# October 5, 2010 at 12:39

silvana popa says:

good observation!

# April 3, 2011 at 11:49

Gus Rols says:

Colour alone doesnt make architecture-This ***** architect will cause many emotional / psychiatric problems with kids behavior-take an acid tab to really enjoy this madness

# October 12, 2010 at 17:58

house42 says:

The colored corridors are really intense. Thinking of nursery schools, we prefer more subtle solutions, like in the Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation.

For some pictures check http://www.house42.com/2010/10/19/unite-dhabitation-nursery-school-firminy/

# October 20, 2010 at 04:48

bernard says: