MIP_PART 1 - Ponzano Primary School

Mip Brief St. Michael’s 2011

Liyaam Arieff 206153562

MIP Part 1 Academic Paper

Ponzano Primary School In the Veneto region of Ponzano, Italy, the Architectural practice named ‐ C+S Associati was appointed in 2008 by Comune di Veneto , Ponzano Patrimoni e Servizi to start designing the sustainable primary school. Construction had to commence by 2009 and the educational hub is designed to accommodate 375 children between the ages of 6 & 10 years of age.

The building consists of the following items which make up the total floor area of 4.102 sqm •

15 Classrooms

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A Music Classroom

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Linguistic classroom

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Computer Classroom

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Science Classroom

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Gymnasium

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Canteen

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Library

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Offices

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Ablutions

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Courtyard

The building doesn’t only provide an education function but also constitutes a new node or meeting place for the entire community. The Gymnasium and some Classrooms are made accessible to public after school hours.

Throughout the design phase which commenced in 2008, C+S Associati organized a web site to involve, inform & receive valid input from children and the community to help better the design. This participation activity was followed up by site visits during certain phases of construction. This participation also provides the users of building with a sense of involvement and ownership in the project and its progress.

The educational function as well as the multi – purpose or new meeting place of the building, along with interaction of the youth and communities input, allow the term “Social Building” to be inherited by the primary school.

C+S Associati uses the concept of a common gathering space, where learning can be achieved through interaction around a central gathering space. Instinctively this concept leads the architect to design Ponzano primary school around a courtyard space, which becomes a focal point and core space in the buildings design. This courtyard space is celebrated by allowing all the defining spaces such as the classroom, gymnasium & circulation zones & canteen to face & open up into the courtyard. All the classrooms where the children spend most of there time are orientated and wrapped along the 2 sides of the courtyard, one along the south east end and the other along the south west end. This orientation allows the classrooms to be exposed to improve day light exposure & natural ventilation. The other two defining sides of the courtyard are occupied by the canteen and gymnasium. The gymnasium sits partially underground due to the huge volume; this also allows for an embankment which provides light, ventilation as well as brings about the design of the garden Corridors are dived from the classroom by 130cm high walls of furniture. This allows for ample natural light as well as allowing beautiful views of outside surrounding landscape into classroom spaces.

There are 3 staircases leading to the upper floor, one which is situated at south end and one at the north end of the building and another by the gymnasium. The upper floor consist of a balcony which looks onto the gymnasium, ablutions, storage, computer room as well as classroom spaces and offices that look out onto the courtyard.

Traditional brick work and concrete is used internally in the structure of the building.

However, the building space is a designed to be porous and transparent by the use of low walls & glazing in the classrooms. These classrooms are caddied externally by glass panels which are in cased in a light weight timber frame and internal in a lightweight aluminium frame. This porosity & transparency of spaces allows the children to learn much more by stimulating their sense of vision. The more children observe the more they learn, develop and stimulate the minds. This transparency of space also allow for teacher to keep watch over the children.

The internal structure is encased by primary structure which is like thin red filigree. This structure provides a covering to the building and anchors the roof plane to the ground plane.

The red bent columns and its shadows generate play on the wood and glass façade which adds another dimension to the aesthetic feature buildings elevation and over all design.

The building is also designed to be sustainable due green roofs well orientated building thick insulation, floor heating, photovoltaic panels, geothermal heating and natural ventilation along with a BMS (Building management system) which automatically can unroll sunscreens that is located along the glass façades .The BMS also helps facilitate the use of water and electricity throughout the buildings use.

This project was well designed & executed and as it’s taken into consideration: •

The use of simple materials

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The use of transparency in the design of the building thus benefiting the children’s learning ability.

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The use of a courtyard space to create a sense of unity among the users of the building.

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The use of a sustainable green design.

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The most important factor alongside the green design of the building is the multi functional purpose of the school. I feel this educational space and Community Node/meeting space for the public adds much more substances and value to the entire building.

The functionality of this design should be implemented in the design of educational institutions so as to increase utility of the resources •

. Ponzano Primary School is an excellently designed “Social building”.