Santa Elena School

Santa Elena, Satipo, Peru · 2015
Secondary school

The school accommodates 200 students, and gives young people in this rural area the opportunity to continue secondary level studies. It is strategically located close to several population centres, making it accessible for the greatest possible number of students.

The architectural proposal was tailored to the geographical, morphological, and climatic conditions of the area, and to the cultural and social conditions of the community. The use of simple and local materials in a new and contemporary design creates a sense of pride and development in this usual forgotten communities.

The infrastructure consists of a compact volume with a large sports yard. The construction includes covered “open” spaces, a double-height central hall, and a corridor along the axis of the infrastructure connecting the classrooms to the administrative block. All spaces “between the classrooms,” such as laboratories and the library, were promoted as “open spaces,” for public use.

In most cases, the school in a rural community serves not only as a place to study, but also as a place for recreation and one where anyone in the community can get together. Santa Elena is another example of a village where a school provides the only real “public” infrastructure. A building in which the boundaries between inside and outside blur in order to create real public space connected with its surroundings.

Architecture
Paulo Vale Afonso, Marta Maccaglia with Borja Bosch, Ignacio Bosch

Area
708 sqm

Cost
185,000 USD

Engineering
Manuel Cardenas Aspajo

Construction
Javier Garcia Paucar / Local community

Funding
Costa Foundation

Cooperation
Volcafe Speciality Peru (VSP) Generaciones

Photography
Marta Maccaglia

Awards
Nominee Obra del Año Plataforma Arquitectura 2017 Award