The thesis is that composition on a historical basis does not become obsolete due to its logic in both the functional and the symbolic. The typology of the new Catholic elementary school with an atrium was chosen. The space is built around an inner courtyard with an emphasis on intimate, introverted and safe. The building has two floors, with height and proportions strictly controlled. Its outer and inner perimeter is surrounded by a rehearsal of structural pillars and pilasters.
The format of the school is predominantly compact, which characteristically frees up parts of the plot for other purposes: sports fields, children’s playgrounds, landscape areas with local vegetation emphasis. The orientation of the building is strictly determined by the functional setting of optimal lighting in the north-south direction on the sides where the classrooms are, or east-west where the accompanying groups are located. The central school space-yard is a transparent barrier, a light, external gap, but also a useful space for learning and staying outdoors. The atrium and outdoor upper terraces next to it are elements designed for the school were taken from the history of building culture, which equally form the backbone for the contemporary healthy learning necessity.
The basic element of a sustainable building is defined by the shape factor. In our case, volume is a predominantly compact form whose physics will be defined according to the highest energy standard. The school is planned to use heat pumps for HVAC in combination with solar photovoltaic panels, placed on a green roof, to produce electricity, thus obtaining an educational building with zero energy consumption.