“LOS GIRASOLES” SCHOOL. EL CAÑAVATE. (CUENCA)

School facilities are very important in scarcely populated areas where the right to education must be made available to children living in villages.

In spite of limited resources, the design managed to address the issue of a multi-use building that not only provides space for teaching but also for use outside school hours as a cultural centre, adult activity centre and, in general, a multi-purpose meeting space.

The featureless surroundings and the location of the plot called for a strong presence, in terms of appearance, which at the same time should be strictly functional and austere in compliance with the design brief and the funds available.

A long, single-storey, east-west-facing building was designed and built, where each juxtaposed space was characterised not only by shape and volume but also by the material used, resembling the surrounding villages with a multitude of architectural typologies.

The shape of the plot and exterior constraints did the rest, which gave rise to a design that was varied in form and materials and rich in indoor and outdoor spaces.