Designing a school building that is perfectly integrated with the outdoor green areas: this was the idea behind the design of the new primary school in Melzo.
NUOVA SCUOLA PRIMARIA DI VIA GAVAZZI - MELZO
School Architecture
(500 students) – Melzo (Milan), 2017


The layout of the buildings reflects the desire to build a school completely surrounded by greenery: the volumes create protected green courtyards where children can enjoy recreational and educational activities. The relationship with the natural element varies depending on the function of the different areas: the courtyards between the buildings, bordered by hedges for free play, are an extension of the educational spaces with which they communicate directly, the outdoor open green spaces have a recreational and sports function.
The green element is also present on the roofs of the buildings housing the teaching activities and the canteen, providing thermal and acoustic advantages. The classrooms, which were still designed to host lessons by teachers, also become spaces in which the student-centred learning process can take place in different ways.
Large glass surfaces, arranged to match the correct exposure to the sun, allow better integration of perception between inside and outside.

The design process was completely managed using BIM methodology with the consultancy offered by Politecnico di Milano, which supported the client at all stages.
