Sant Gregori School

Barcelona, Spain

Photo © Jose Hevia

Architects: Coll-Leclerc arquitectos

Location: c/Carles Riba 11-15, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
Year: 2011

The comission focussed on the reform, improvement and extension of the existing facilites from 1972. The extention will include, an underground parking, 6 kindergarden classrooms, 6 additional primary level classrooms and a new elementary school of music with its 300 seats auditorium which will also be a gymnasium for the entire school.

The urban parameters were as follow: Compulsory setback on Carles Riba Street, single intervention not to be fragmented, minimum footprint on the natural reminder of the plot, upper portion of the hillside protected.

We also added our own parameter that the intervention should be of minimum appearance occupying holes, emptying and filling landfills, sustituing terraced landfills with program creating polivalent spaces and using the resulting rooftops as playgrounds.

The building was rated A-level energywise. All the southern exposure of the classrooms is protected by overhangs and/or a brise-soleil of pine-wood sections. In a similar fashion, the basketball court is wrapped in a galvanized Rivisa steel mesh that will allow vegetation to climb and create an appropriate shadow for the playground.