r studio: pio baroja nursery

'pio baroja nursery' by r studio, valencia, spain
all images © r studio

architecture and design firm r studio has designed 'pio baroja nursery' a local school in valencia, spain. this one story building is
located in the third largest city in the country. having the site at street level meant it was influenced by the near-by high speed traffic
and the surrounding skyscrapers. the creation of an inner courtyard brings intimacy and a sense of security to the space.
the circular motif throughout the structure emphasizes the sense of play and movement around the school environment.

the concrete walls extend from the inside to the outside forming a winding path along the perimeter of the grounds.
a glass facade allows for uninterrupted views of the yard while the vertical exterior steel fence provides glimpses
into the colorful interior space. high gloss acrylic panels are contrasted by the gray partitions to create visual mapping
within the establishment. while simple in its construction technique, the double circulation of interior and exterior spaces
allows for the cross ventilation between classrooms, taking advantage of the local climate.



exterior cement structure



(left) detail of circular wall
(right) window facade with view of extruding wall



interior wall motif



interior classroom



interior classroom



entrance to classroom



interior corridor



exterior steel facade



exterior steel facade at dusk



interior courtyard at dusk



rendering of concept



plan



exterior elevation



interior section



interior cross section



exterior cross section


project info:


year: 2010
project lead: r studio
developer: ayuntamiento de valencia serivico de educación
builder: levantian ingenieria y construción s.l.
architect: dolors aparici
engineering project: adypau
architecture management: asurinsa
engineering management: rodrigalvárez