Primary School 'KVART' / PARTICIPANT
Architectural Competition
[ Competition for the Conceptual Architectural Design of a Primary School in City Kvart in Podgorica ]
Location: Kvart
Year: 2023
Client: Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism of Montenegro
Area: 11.300 sqm
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN EXPLANATION
The design of the educational structure is guided by two primary factors: the architectural program and the urban fabric. The linear form of the building is shaped by the linear arrangement of the urban environment and the particular requirements of the architectural program’s components.
Thirty-three classrooms along with cabinets where students can spend their free time formed a long structure across three floors. This mass is divided into two parts to create a separate area for different age groups and an open space connecting the building to the city. The structure is rotated to southeast which is ideal for classroom exposure to sunlight. As a result, each building wing gains a private garden and a spacious entrance that doubles as a gathering area in the center. In the remaining space, a parking area separated from the pedestrian entrance is created.
Between the two wings of the building, a volume is created that provides a rich shared enclosed space, facilitating both horizontal and vertical circulation. Units such as a library, daycare, sports hall, and cafeteria, which students will actively use, are designed around this atrium. These units are attached perpendicular to the linear mass, extending towards the garden.
The sports hall is positioned just west of the atrium to establish a direct connection with the outdoor sports fields. The cafeteria is situated beneath the sports hall, and it provides direct access to the garden and the amphitheater where various outdoor activities will take place. The cafeteria’s service facilities are connected to the street via a vehicle ramp.
The daycare and library units are designed to the east of the atrium. The daycare is planned on the ground floor to establish a direct connection with the entrance, atrium, and garden. The library is divided into two floors to separate individual and group study areas. The first floor of the library is dedicated to group studies, and it extends to the atrium amphitheater. The second floor, along with its terrace, is reserved for a more isolated usage, and it is placed adjacent to it.
FACADES & MATERIALS:
The southern facade, where the classrooms are located, features small window openings to control the intake of natural light. To break the monotony of the facade, cabinets and classroom areas were assorted, creating volumes/open spaces ? within the mass of the facade. The classroom areas that serve as laboratories were designed with cantilevers, transforming them into boxes that disrupt the routine.
The northern facade, which receives more homogeneous natural light, was designed for the library and administrative blocks as transparent glass boxes with curtain wall facades.
The Sports Hall has a saw-toothed roof for balanced lighting, and its facade is finished with two-meter glass panels beyond a five-meter height.
Fiber Cement Facade Panels were considered for the facade cladding.
The multipurpose hall and administrative units are placed to the east of the library wing, with the hall on the ground floor.
