LOCATION
Terrassa, Barcelona province
DESCRIPTION
2001
In 2000 we won the bidding from Foment de Terrassa to do the rehabilitation of the old IES Vallparadis school, which wasn´t in use. Even though the new use had not been completely defined, the majority of the work would be carried out by the various professional schools in function of the duration of the work, as these schools are created based on need and normally last for one year. The interior would be done completely by these schools, which included various trades: mason, carpenter, aluminum worker, electrician, plumber, painter, and air conditioning technician. It was a welcome surprise to see that, thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of the teachers of each of these branches of construction, the project was executed with an accuracy and professionalism that many professional businesses in the sector would envy. The exterior part was carried out by a construction company.
The interior was completely rehabilitated and remodeled. Everything was done over completely, as the building was like a container and it was easy to redistribute. We designed open interior spaces that provided light to each and every room, hallway and common area. The interior spaces are very agreeable and show that these buildings can still be re-used.
Due to the topographical characteristics of the property, where the entrance is far below the elevation of the building, in the exterior we designed an entrance structure with a tall tower that contains an elevator and a stairway as a type of filter, in that you can access each one of the floors from the outside. This stair tower also has walkways that connect it to the building and allow you to stay and contemplate the magnificent views of the area.
The use of resources such as the trade/workshop schools allowed for an incredible economic savings, and allowed us to do unique things that would be difficult to do with normal businesses in the sector. I believe that this would be a good system to carry out many public projects at a reasonable cost, in addition to teaching and giving work to many people.
DATA
Architect: Amadeu Oliva i Uriel
Technical Architect: Maria Rosa Remola i Ferrer
Photography: Jordi Canyameres
Structural Consultant: Alfredo Municio Angel
