Early in the design phase it became clear that much of the information on site specifics and rural building technologies in Brazil would be somewhat of an ambiguous field condition until we arrived on site. Accepting that as a design opportunity the design team focused on what was know, mostly concerning climatic conditions of the region, its location in the southern hemisphere, and the programmatic demands. In doing so we formulated a performance specification that detailed how we envisioned the architecture to function and a general layout that would accommodate the anticipated program while maintaining flexibility in the same regard.

With very few known givens about the field conditions, the design began with a simple layout which lent itself to the changes we encountered once on site. The different programs are organized in "bars" across the plan. This provides distinction between water, storage, mechanical, public, semi-private, and private spaces.

The project is located on a plot of land owned by Eduardo Falcao De Arruda. There is a house which exists on the center on the site. Because of zoning and setback stipulations, the school was designed and built as an addition to the house. The school is oriented along the east-west axis, with the existing house splitting the living and working facilities. Community courtyards and wide porticoes connect the two new buildings to the existing house and porch.

The water systems are contained within a specific bay in the plan, as designated from the designs. Water delivery comes from a gravity feed storage system above and waste water terminates below ground. There are separate delivery pipes for gray water (sinks and showers) and black water (toilets). More extensive information about the water systems may be found here: http://pcerwatersystems.wordpress.com Typically, in the area, diesel generators are used for energy. Solar power would provide a sustainable energy solution. The angle of the roof has been designed to the optimal specs for solar orientation. The building also faces true north to optimize sun exposure.

on site working plan

on site sketches