andrade morettin arquitectos repurposes sheds into beacon school in brazil

brazilian architecture firm andrade morettin arquitectos + GOAA – Gusmão Otero Arquitetos Associados were challenged to insert an innovative educational project in an estate built in an old industrial district in the central area of sao paulo. the school would hold 1,000 students, ranging from elementary school to high school and had to be all accommodated in an inclusive space. their winning proposal was based on creating a whole structure, by keeping the existing industrial warehouses and adding new elements to cater to each age group, allowing integration among students of different ages.

all images © nelson kon

the architects’ proposal encourages ongoing interaction between students, teachers, coordinators and employees by providing them with common areas that host diverse functions. the old industrial sheds, rustic and gigantic for a school, were repurposed to hold all the educuational activities and areas. the structures already brought in sufficient natural lighting and ventilation to the spaces, creating a pleasant learning environment. the sheds also represent a solid heritage for the area within sao paulo, providing meaningful history in the site.

by making use of the history and heritage of the sheds as monumental structures, the architects designed new elements capable of accommodating specific school activities. simultaneously, they introduced the appropriate scale and finishing materials in order to better utilize the existing spaces. all the new elements are built with light industrial components, assembling them on site.

the new elements contrast the existing structures, yet at the same time establish a dialogue between the old buildings and new designs. the architects inserted wooden furniture and plants within the shed’s raw concrete, bringing a natural material palette to the interiors, and adding a warm and natural atmosphere to the cold, industrial canvas. the new elements also include large, colorful planters to address the shed’s massive scale, and to match the vibrant flags and bright furniture. by playing between the old and new, industrial and contemporary, and cold and warm material palette, the designers successfully transformed old warehouses into an innovative learning atmosphere.

project info:

project: beacon school

location: são paulo – sp, brazil

competition year: 2016

land area: 11.7000 m2

built area: 10,600 m2

architecture firm: andrade morettin arquitectos

design team: adriane de luca, carlos eduardo miller, eduardo miller, fernanda carlovich, fernanda mangini, jaqueline lessa, melissa kawahara, rafael souza

trainee: guilherme torres

collaborators: goaa arquitetos associados

structure: stec engenharia

facilities: gera engenharia

lighting: godoy luminotecnia

drainage: contag engineering

acoustics: alexandre sresnewsky acoustics and technology

air conditioning: willem scheepmaker & assoc. ltda.

landscaping and agronomy: ricardo vianna

foundations: foundation support and foundation support

flooring: lpe engineering

constructor: barbara engenharia e construtora