A SCHOOL IN THE PARK Besides creating of a new beautiful elementary school, the project emphasizes the pedagogical importance of the contact with nature, and enhances the civic potential of the site, creating a new meeting place for all citizens. The main idea was to create a new urban park, with a high landscape quality, over the entire area of the site (1.6 hectares), within which to insert the new primary school. The new school complex will be made up of several circular “pavilions” (the main building, the gym, the auditorium-“agora”): independent buildings but connected to each other by shelters, level glass or underground corridors. In this way, the external green areas will no longer be simply made by the space between the volume of a single building (however articulated) and the perimeter of the plot, but it will become the main element of the new intervention. This layout facilitates the independent use of the functions open to the community during outside school hours: gym, auditorium/event room, library, laboratories, canteen, and ... the new park. The buildings are designed for maximum sustainability and energy saving, with the aim of becoming NZEB (Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings) and obtaining LEED certification. The entire above-ground structure is made of engineered laminated wood (CLT - Cross Laminated Timber). The construction site will therefore be “dry” for the elevated parts of the project. The prefabrication of the wooden elements, which is well suited to this type of projects, reduces construction times, minimizes waste, and helps reduce CO2 emissions. The envelope has high thermal and acoustic insulation. Recycled or eco-sustainable materials will be used, which are durable and easy to maintain. The flexibility of the spaces will also be allowed by the use of foldable mobile walls with high acoustic performance. The roofs of the buildings contribute to reducing the environmental impact and making the new school complex eco-sustainable, improving its energy and water efficiency. Part of the energy production needed by the complex will be guaranteed by solar panels (photovoltaic and thermal), installed on the roofs of the school and the auditorium. The roof of the gym will be mainly vegetal, helping to limit the surface flow of rainwater, and to improve the quality and humidity of the air. The roofs will be connected to rainwater collection and storage systems. The glass parts of the school facades will be equipped with external motorized blinds connected to an artificial light control system (“light harvesting”), to reduce energy consumption, improve visual comfort and the general well-being of students. The facade of the auditorium will have a system of adjustable wooden slats, to regulate natural light. The heating and cooling system, of the “hydronic” type, uses the electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic system on the roof, and combines a heat pump with a reversible radiant floor system. The possibility of integrating it with geothermal energy will be evaluated. A controlled mechanical ventilation system will guarantee the exchange and constant quality of the air. The central courtyard will allow for natural ventilation during the hot season. This synergy between renewable sources makes the school more autonomous, sustainable and with reduced management costs.