Sustainable building design through passive measures

Shade and natural ventilation are key strategies for the building’s passive conditioning. A large roof with extended eaves provides ample shade while ensuring cross-ventilation beneath, even on rainy days. The fragmented, elevated structure allows continuous airflow at its base and within its spaces. Solar exposure is carefully managed: openings vary by orientation, using bamboo sunshades or planters as needed. Spatial distribution follows solar criteria—classrooms and high-occupancy areas are on the north-facing side, while transition and short-stay spaces are on the south-facing side, optimizing comfort.

Efficient construction and operations

Modular and Resilient Construction System: The industrialization of construction processes enhances the building’s strength and flexibility. Given its high replicability with various adaptations, we implemented a pre-cast concrete system with modular components for the superstructure and a prefabricated modular wooden system for the roofing. Concrete ensures durability and low maintenance, while wood provides lightness and compatibility with large spans. Building Infrastructure and Space Occupation: To address flooding, essential equipment—meters, electrical panels, and digital systems—along with offices, labs, and archives, are relocated to upper levels.

Landscape & Biodiversity Integration

The landscape design integrates new educational dynamics, emphasizing environmental education and native flora. This approach encourages local fauna to inhabit the newly established microclimate. Beyond serving as an open-air learning space, the garden features a microforest, a seedling nursery, a community vegetable garden, and a small wetland for wastewater phytosanitary treatment. Given the project's replicability and territorial reach, the goal is to multiply these localized actions, creating a statewide network in Rio Grande do Sul. This initiative fosters territorial transformation, raises community awareness, and contributes to developing a sponge city.

Land use & Transformation

Elevation from the Ground: Designed for resilience against frequent floods, the building is elevated on stilts as a key passive strategy. Rather than containing water, the design allows natural flow with minimal impact, avoiding costly maintenance systems like gates, valves, and pumps. Verticalization: Reducing the building’s footprint minimizes land occupation, enhancing soil permeability to mitigate flooding, increase vegetation cover, and improve the microclimate—contributing to a sponge city. It also enables concentrated foundations, optimising construction on low-bearing capacity soils common in flood-prone areas.

Participatory Design

Beyond designing a model school, this project proposes a system for constructing and renovating public schools statewide, detailed in an illustrated guide. It is a collaborative effort, engaging stakeholders both during development and future implementation. In addition to fostering dialogue with local agents to address challenges and develop socially and territorially relevant strategies, the guide will support future change-makers in applying its principles. One key strategy encourages those overseeing construction to map, study, and integrate local building techniques, ensuring that each school unit reflects regional knowledge and resources.

Community Impact and Resilience

The state's public school network forms an extensive infrastructure with deep territorial and social reach, extending beyond education. Schools are envisioned as multifunctional community hubs that foster well-being and social cohesion. Emergency Situations: Given the region’s frequent floods, schools can serve as shelters and distribution centers during disasters, enhancing community resilience. To support this, gymnasiums are placed on rooftops and equipped with survival infrastructure, including kitchens, dining areas, restrooms, potable water, and photovoltaic power. These spaces are designed to accommodate the community and assist civil defense operations.

Financial Feasibility

This project includes constructing a model school and creating a guide to direct new school construction and adapt existing ones. Designed for public investment, it prioritises feasibility and cost-effectiveness, ensuring compliance with public audits for responsible resource use. The adoption of industrialized construction systems enhances reproducibility and economic efficiency. A key strategy is an infrastructure and accessibility module functioning as a “plugin,” upgrading existing structures into resilient schools. This module includes accessibility ramps, restrooms, storage, mechanical rooms, a potable water reservoir, and a photovoltaic power system.

Aesthetic Qualities and Cultural Integration

As symbols of the State’s presence, schools emphasize hospitality and inclusivity, incorporating recognizable elements that reaffirm their role as shelters of resilience. Raising the building on stilts draws inspiration from traditional local architecture, commonly found in riverine areas but often overlooked in contemporary design. This typology, known as palafitas, is characteristic of hot, humid regions. Cultural integration is further strengthened through open connections with community facilities, such as the fishermen’s cooperative. Additionally, the project incorporates traditional bamboo craftsmanship as solar protection elements for the building’s windows.