Francisco Rodrigues Lobo High School

Francisco Rodrigues Lobo High School
Leiria, PT . 2008-2011

The operations proposed for the ensemble descended form a first one, redefining the placement of the entrance to the school. Moving it to the eastern side of the plot, between two narrows wings, defining the north and south limits of the perimeter.

The school was re-centered, not only in its horizontal distribution, but also in its altimetry. Since the main access was moved to an intermediate level, between the highest an lowest point of the buildings.

The project involved redesigning the topography between the two existing buildings, to allow the construction the buildings needed to host the new program, but also a sequence of open spaces that re-center the activity and flux of the school users.

This central complex has a sequence o five different spaces:

1.Drive-in: an urban space, external from the new limit of the school, that allows the entry of cars for pupils drop off/pick up and for deliveries of goods.

2.Patio 1: an open space, that is the first entry space into the school, delimitated North and South by the existing
buildings and defined on its West side by the new transversal building, that becomes the center of the school.

3.Central building: a closed space, comprises three floors and hosts exclusively public spaces, for the use of all of the school’s community . Atrium at entry level, Library in the upper floor, and cafeteria in the lower floor.

4.Patio 2: following the central building, located one level below Patio 1, at the same level as the cafeteria and planned as its prolongation towards the outside. It embedded in the terrain, delimited by buildings and closed on the Western side by the new sports areas.

5.Sports areas: a set of new buildings on the western edge of the lot, installed at its lowest level, embedded between platforms, allowing such a significant volume of construction to be discretely implanted in the complex.

So, all the fundamental collective spaces, as well as the sports areas, are built along this central ribbon; while the academic spaces are left within the existing buildings.
Three vertical volumes were attached to the existing building, sorting the access between floors, hosting each floor’s sanitaries and the technical areas.


Inês Lobo with João Rosário, João Vaz, Gilberto Reis, Júlia Varela, Filipe Soares, Sérgio Silva, Sérgio Pereira, Henrieta Selcová, Vasco Lopes, Job Morais, Pedro Coelho, Rafael Marques
Structures: ADF Engenheiros Consultores; Pedro Morujão
Hydraulic Installations: Fernanda Valente
Electrical Installations,Telecommunication and Security: GPIC Projectos Consultoria e Instalações; Fernando Aires, Alexandre Martins
Heating, Ventilation, Building Physics, Thermic and Acoustics: NaturalWorks; Guilherme Carrilho da Graça
Landscape Architecture: Global Arquitectura Paisagista Lda, João Gomes da Silva
Project Revision: Rui Prata Ribeiro Lda; Rui Prata Ribeiro, Paula Balseiro
Client: Parque Escolar EP
Construction Company: Ramos Catarino SA

Photographer: Leonardo Finotti

Nomination for the Mies van der Rohe Price 2011