PROGRAM: Educational
AREA: 1002 m²
LOCATION: Mollerussa, Lleida
STATUS: Completed
TIMEFRAME: 2006–2008
El Niu is located at the edge of Mollerussa, where the town meets the agricultural landscape of Pla d’Urgell. The elongated plot and its relationship with the fields define an east-west linear volume, with classrooms facing the courtyard and service spaces connected to the street and main entrance.
The organization clearly separates learning and service areas while maximizing natural light and the children’s everyday relationship with the outdoors. A multipurpose room and shared spaces allow the building to adapt to different activities.
The building is organized along its longitudinal axis, divided into three distinct volumes. At the ends, the classrooms are positioned to optimize natural light and strengthen the link between the interior and the surrounding environment.
The central volume houses the service areas, streamlining the internal layout and ensuring the building’s overall functionality. This section also includes a kitchen and a multipurpose room, designed as a flexible space adaptable to a variety of activities.
The project’s tight four-month timeline required an industrialized construction approach. A nearby prefabricated concrete factory was identified, allowing the use of this material, which was ideal for meeting both the design and time constraints. This choice not only facilitated timely delivery but also contributed to a sustainable outcome by reducing construction time, resource consumption, and transportation costs.
Interior partitions were constructed using gypsum panels with recycled wood finishes. In terms of façades, tailored solutions were implemented based on the building’s orientation: a metal sheet pergola on the south side shields the large glass windows from excessive solar radiation, while a perforated metal sheet lattice on the north side ensures both security and privacy.
DIRECTOR: Xavier Vilalta
PROJECT TEAM: Núria Navarro, Cristina Porta
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: Prefabricados Pujol
INSTALLATIONS ENGINEERING: Josep Maria Servetó
QUANTITY SURVEYOR: Josep Seuma
CONTRACTOR: Romà
PHOTOGRAPHY: Oksana Luzika