Organizing authority:
Municipality of Lurago D’Erba
Project:
Architetto Nicola Isetta
Dimensions:
GFA Nursery School 985 m²
Schedule:
2018 March – competition first phase
Sustainability and savings in architecture and urban planning are not just about energy and the use of materials but also about consumption of unbuilt land. In fact, landscape is a non-renewable resource of great value, particularly in our Italy which is one of the countries with the highest landscape qualities in the world. Lombardy has been a model for the other regions, adopting a law for the reduction of land consumption first. Therefore, our project idea started from the following question: why use the north-west area made available by the administration?
This area is poorly exposed and not usable due to the ground that degrades creating a basin to the north and due to the shading created by the trees and the rustic cottage that are located on the southern part. Starting from these premises our choice was to make the most of the existing school area: the project proposes architectural solutions that integrate it into the natural landscape without compromising the quality of the elementary school spaces but, on the contrary, creating new suggestive possibilities of use. The volume of the new kindergarten develops in an east-west direction and is inserted on south of the existing elementary school, acting as a catalyst for a new spatial organization and dividing the area into two. To the south there is a lowered protected courtyard surrounded by green slopes. The courtyard, closed and protected but well exposed to sunlight, becomes the external hub of the nursery school where all the educational activities and outdoor play will take place. The existing trees are maintained and enhanced serving as solar shading for the school. To the north, the roof of the new building connects with the lawn through a grassy slope, creating continuity between the primary school garden and the nursery school roof that is thought of as terraced roof-garden. This is an integral part of the outdoor spaces for the Carlo Porta school: a terrace from which you will enjoy a splendid view of the Durini Castle and which will add value to outdoor teaching. The kindergarten is organized with main views towards the court. The main entrance is from the east side, where you enter a glazed atrium that can be used for free activities. The sections are arranged on the southern front in a large, freely organized and flexible environment thanks to mobile partitions, adaptable to diversified educational settings. The south façade is completely glazed and can be opened, even a part of the roof is in glass as in a greenhouse, for total continuity and immersion with the outdoor spaces. A two-meter deep portico protects the façade and provides a protected outdoor area for outdoor activities. The services, changing rooms and distribution are organized along the north side.
