ETAPA VILA MASCOTE SCHOOL

The project of the Vila Mascote unit of the Etapa School is based on the renovation with expansion of the existing building, by architect Paulo Bastos, built in 1984. The building skillfully takes advantage of the unevenness of about 15 meters between Palestina Street and Mascote Avenue to create two accesses, a condition that was maintained.
The School is configured in 2 blocks, the largest dedicated to classrooms and laboratories and the smaller dedicated predominantly to administrative functions.

We took the use of the lot to the maximum allowed by current legislation, adding two floors to the administrative block. In this way, it was possible to accommodate the extensive program, which goes from kindergarten to high school. In this block, with a square plan, the central void was expanded, flooding all its floors with natural light.
In addition to the existing covered court, the project foresees two more uncovered courts, reactivating access to the building's roof.
The importance of updating the building due to new rules, specifically safety and accessibility, is highlighted: the installation of elevators, the renovation of emergency stairs and several other elements needed to be adapted.
Since the building was designed as a school, in many ways the project takes advantage of certain conditions. This is the case of the covered patio, which in addition to being a desirable void in volumetry, organizes the uses; below, early childhood education with access from Mascote Avenue, above, elementary and high school, with access from Palestina Street.
The access to this street was subject to major changes: The boarding and disembarking area was expanded and the access to the School gained institutional clarity, taking place through the administrative block, at the level of the covered patio.
The chromatic project, which extends from the facades to the internal environments, including visual communication, unifies the blocks and establishes the visual identity of the educational institution.