Execution project for the renovation and expansion of the Pero Negro Elementary School

Municipality of Sobral de Monte Agraço

Introduction

This article presents the execution project for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Pêro Negro Primary School, located in Sobral de Monte Agraço, Lisbon district. The intervention focuses on modernizing educational infrastructures, providing the building with a capacity for three classrooms with plastic expression zones, a multipurpose room, a cafeteria, and support offices, ensuring full compliance with accessibility and energy efficiency standards.

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Context and Project Necessity

The project arose from the urgent need to intervene in the entirety of the existing school and its surroundings, including the demolition of parts of the old building to make way for a functional and integrated structure. The terrain, with an irregular rectangular configuration and bounded by a street front on a slope, presented elevation challenges that required an architectural solution capable of distinguishing the public domain from the school domain in a smooth manner.

In addition to the structural component, it was imperative to ensure that the building complied with the Legal Regime for Urbanization and Building and accessibility regulations (Decree-Law No. 163/2006), promoting an inclusive and safe environment for the entire school community.

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Summary of the Completed Project

The architectural proposal was based on the creation of a single-story building with a total construction area of 677.22 m², utilizing a granite base to compensate for the terrain’s unevenness. Key highlights of the intervention include:

• Functional Organization: The main atrium acts as an intuitive distribution hub, providing unity to the building and allowing direct access to classrooms, the multipurpose room, the cafeteria, and outdoor playground areas.
• Sustainability and Thermal Comfort: The building was designed with both passive and active efficiency strategies. The classrooms, oriented to the south, benefit from a 2-meter horizontal overhang for shading and solar protection, minimizing the need for artificial climate control. Natural ventilation is enhanced by the design of window frames with thermal breaks.
• Materials and Finishes: Durable materials with low environmental impact were chosen, such as ceramic tiles for flooring and suspended ceilings made of high-density glass wool with an Akutex-type finish, aimed at acoustic comfort and resistance.
• Universal Accessibility: The school is equipped with accessible routes, including an elevator to overcome the entrance’s elevation difference, 360º rotation maneuver zones, adapted sanitary facilities with sliding doors (pocket doors), and service counters compliant with legal standards.
• Integration with the Outdoors: The concept prioritizes proximity between permanent activity areas and green or recreational zones, promoting the well-being of students and teachers through bright spaces and pleasant views.

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