Gerardo Flores
Academic school in an urbanized context. Its purpose: be a flexible learning facility adaptable to change. And, at the same time, be a permeable meeting place that reunites the perpetual people living there for generations.
“OI” talks about the present and future of the education we need; flexibility & stability, ephemeral & perpetual. Located in “Parque Tecnologico” (relatively close to the prestigious university ITESM in Monterrey, Mexico), this elementary school replicates what occurs outside of its limits: the ephemeral cycle of students coming and going, contrasted with the permanence of the families that have inhabited the area since the park’s inception.
The project recognized 5 essential characteristics from its location: ephemeral vs perpetual (previously discussed). The direct connection and relation with an existing park (Parque tecnológico). It’s agitated urban environment. Mixed architectural typologies in the area. And, the contrast between old and modern architecture. From this observation, we shape the building to communicate with its surroundings and enhance the quality of life in the community. Architecturally speaking, we also had two strong references: the Teotihuacan archeological site, located in the valley of Mexico, with its strong and heavy presence (perpetual) in its Mesoamerican pyramids. And the Pompidou Center; with its flexible & light structure made by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano in Paris. Understanding these projects helped us shape the architecture of the school.
In this way, the ground floor is accessible to all, people are welcome to use it as they please, either for just a passing by commute or a gathering place for activities. This is achieved with arcs barely touching the ground in the middle area and a submerged open garden court directly connected with the existing park. Materially speaking, we decided on using a heavy material; rocks, and we used this because for us, the perception of an architecture that belonged there since the beginning was of vital importance, just as the Mesoamerican pyramids of Teotihuacan.
The upper levels are where the school is developed. How is the education of the future? What strategies can we use to meet its requirements? Do we need a physical place to learn? These were natural questions that arose from the pandemic, and as such, we understood that education comes in all shapes of forms, colors, and even sounds. So to meet the requirements, a light, modular, ephemeral, and flexible steel structure was built as a white (green) canvas that can host so many possibilities as the future of education can foretold.
The juxtaposition of these two completely different intentions ended up in a surprising harmony that complements each other. In the end, this school wants to be part of the collective memory while satisfying the academic needs of the future.
Author: Gerardo Flores.
Location: Monterrey, Mexico.
University: EAAD – Escuela de Arquitectura, Arte y Diseño del Tecnológico de Monterrey
Year: 2020