COLEGIO EL ROBLE - architeria.eu

COLEGIO EL ROBLE

The architectural project for Colegio El Roble was born next to the academic project. A group of compromised
people with the common objective to improve education in Mexico initiated in 2004 the creation of the School.
This idea came from the excellent results obtained by Descubre, an institution focused in solving ADD.
The architectural project from the Colegio El Roble incorporates the experience acquired in Descubre
and a lot of investigation.

The property is located west of Mexico City, in Interlomas. It is a lot of 9,600m2, front 250m and a fund 45m
average, with a particularly extended proportion. The design contemplates to be built in different phases,
as the increment of school grades demand it. Today, Kindergarten and Elementary are in operation.
Still they remain for being built a gymnasium, Middle School, High School and a complementary parking lot.

In the first phase, the Kindergarten and Elementary school building was built on a basement that functions
as covered parking. The classrooms, offices and parlors of specific uses are organized in two parallel blocks
of three levels, united by a covered interior space. The classrooms of grade school live toward the interior
of the two blocks, and the access to Kindergarten is toward the exterior facade.

In grade school, common classrooms, such as the library, art and laboratory are arranged in the first level
of the rear block, and have very high cellings. This makes the next two floor levels phase out. The interior
space works as the integrating nucleus of grade school; it is a place for contact, there is natural lighting
access in all levels, and holds vertical and horizontal circulations.

The southeastern block of the building, the one closer to the street, holds Kindergarten classrooms in its two
first levels. Access to these classrooms is through a roofed hall that ends in an exclusive garden for smaller
children. The third level of this block makes a roof for access and part of the garden. In rainy and cold days,
grade school and kindergarten students have a protected place to be.

The building’s structure is made out of cast-in-situ concrete, with huge suspended areas held by steel. To give
warmth to the building, concrete was complemented with different materials and colors. The interior walls
are lined with cork and wood. In the exteriors, window sections and doors are of porcelain enamel panels.
The main facade is of eco-resins, with pressed leaves and different tones of green.

Project data:
> Project: Colegio El Roble: Primaria y Pre-primaria
> Design: Cuarto Arquitectura y Diseño
> Location: Interlomas, Mexico City, Mexico
> Date: 2005-2006
> Material: Cast-in-situ concrete, eco-resin, steel, porcelain enamel panels