Open Pavilion School

Three years ago, our children began attending a new kindergarten that embraced the Forest School methodology. Witnessing their joy, we were compelled to ensure their subsequent school years maintained this same level of quality.

In August 2023, an opportunity arose, but with the condition that the school must be constructed by March 2024, within a tight budget allowing for a mere 200m2 structure.

A friend of the director, who owns a Tiny House construction company, extended their assistance. Construction could start promptly in their plant, while permits were processed and the ground prepared for the foundations. The Tiny Houses, modular 6x3 m. structures, provided already foundation points.

During the design phase, we familiarized ourselves with modular construction techniques. Recognizing the potential, we realized that by eliminating middle modules, we could increase the surface area while keeping costs. This strategy allowed for the creation of intermediate rooms, enhancing the school's functionality.

Another key decision was to widen the corridor, covering it as a greenhouse to transform it into a multifunctional space serving as a meeting point, lobby, and changing area. A great cost-effective decision that uses the modules as a primary structural elements.

Installation of the modules on-site took less than a month. Our primary focus was on enclosing the corridor, ensuring year-round usability while the inner rooms will be preheated. This transparent facade not only unified the school's appearance but also veiled its modular construction, diverging from the typical mining settlements connotations often associated with such architecture in Chile. It became its main facade.

The question was: what should a school be like if the learning method is its surroundings?

Ultimately, despite a budget initially intended for a 180m2 structure, we managed to construct 300m2 of usable space. These intermediate areas, initially undefined, now serve various purposes, from dining rooms to carpentry workshops, especially valuable during inclement weather, considering Valdivia's climate, situated at the southern edge of Chile near Patagonia.

Architecture: Cristóbal Lamarca y Paulina Ibieta (AXS Arquitectura) + Mario Novas
Landscape: Claudia Salinas, Javiera Pérez, Carolina Masoli. Estudio Corteza
Cost: 547USD/m2
Surface: 300m2