Ballester Montessori School
Barcelona, Spain
2022 - 2025
In collaboration with Jorge Vidal Studio
Landscape design: Beatriz Borque
Photography: José Hevia
The school is characterised in great measure by the lush garden that belongs to it. Given that the original residential use will be substituted by a new school use, the general structure of the exterior spaces will be reconfigured. The garden will become a central distribution space that connects all the school buildings. Our intention is to benefit from the potential to create a strong relationship between the interior spaces and nature while encouraging that learning activities spill out to the outdoor spaces when weather conditions are suitable. In line with the Montessori philosophy, we believe that this proposal will offer multiple kinds of spaces that adapt to the interests of each child. The sum of indoor and outdoor areas will provide a series of spaces that range from the defined and controlled to the dynamic and free.
The three buildings that currently occupy the plot are the main house, the administrator’s house, and the porter’s house. All the main constructions will be maintained and refurbished to incorporate new functions that respond to the school’s needs. A new pavilion will be built in order to house the elementary school classrooms.
The approach to deal with the existing architecture consists in maintaining, reusing, and enhancing the value of existing elements that can be adapted for the new school. One of the key considerations is to adapt the house not only for the needs of a school, but also to make it flexible enough to allow other uses in the future. In cases where it is necessary to introduce new elements, these are made with materials and geometries that distinguishes them from the existing elements. In this way, the intervention can be clearly read as something added to the original architecture.
The proposed constructive systems respond not only to the hierarchy between the old and the new, but also to the ambition of creating an exemplary school in terms of energy consumption and sustainability. Facade elements such as windows will be rebuilt with a high energetic performance while optimizing natural light and ventilation. In many cases, the original finishes such as floors and ceilings will be reused and the missing pieces will be completed, giving the interior spaces a new meaning and a special material richness.
