The project site is located in the Puerta de Tierra sector of the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The site has panoramic views towards the Atlantic Ocean to the North and the Bay of San Juan to the South. The stereotomic nature of the school allows it to have the appearance of progressive weathering. The weathering is triggered by the tropical climate of the island and the site’s adjacency to the ocean. The building re-uses the rain water to maintain the walls wet for the green slime texture keeping the heat controlled from outside. A singular window in a classroom becomes an opening to the outside world. The pattern created by these openings – in walls, roofs, and floors – can be operated by the students for their use in order to manipulate light, air and views. The classroom is a controlled environment where the didactic experience is a focused one. Once outside the classroom the building itself becomes a sponge, filtering the outside towards the inside. The school was designed to meet Living Building Challenge standards.
For more details and images of the San Juan Community School, visit ARCHITECT's Project Gallery.
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