Advanced sustainability and safety in the spaces suitable for children
The new nursery school in Guastalla (Reggio Emilia) is the result of the project with which MC A had won the architectural competition held in February 2014. The new facility replaces the existing two nursery schools (Pollicino and Rondine) that had been damaged by the earthquake in 2012 and hosts up to 120 children aged 0 to 3 years.
The project aims at promoting children’s interaction with the surrounding space through an educational vision where everything – from the distribution of the classrooms to the selection of the construction materials and the integration between interiors and exteriors – is planned down to the finest detail.
The facility was built using low-impact natural or recycled materials. The loadbearing structure consists of timber frames, which ensure efficient thermal insulation. The high level of insulation and the optimal distribution of transparent surfaces, together with the use of cutting-edge rainwater harvesting systems and a photovoltaic system on the roof, help meet the school’s energy needs minimizing the use of mechanical equipment.
Location: Guastalla (Reggio Emilia), Italy
Year: 2015
Type: Public tender, winning project
Client: Municipality of Guastalla
Surface: 1.400 sqm
Project: Mario Cucinella Architects
Team: Mario Cucinella, Marco dell’Agli, Alberto Casarotto, Irene Sapienza,Ferruccio Palumbo. Bioclimatic design: Alberto Bruno. Models: Yuri Costantini
Landscape Architecture: Greencure and Landscape, Marilena Baggio
Engineering: Geoequipe Studio Tecnico Associato (structural), Area Engineering (building services), Enrico Manzi (acoustics)
Project management and artistic supervision: Mario Cucinella Architects, Marco Dell’Agli
Construction: temporary business association
Construction Company: Scisciani e Frascarelli Impresa Edile (project leader)
Timber Structures: Rubner Holzbau
Building system design: Saitec Company
Doors and Windows: Promo
Photo Credit: Moreno Maggi
