Dance School in Oleiros / NAOS Arquitectura

Curated by ArchDaily

Architects: NAOS Arquitectura
Year: 2010

The Municipal Dance School in Oleiros is a building on ground floor, with a simple volumetric configuration that responds to a clear program of needs. The program is organized in two different volumes that separate the main functional areas. In plan, the building is compact within the plot, optimizing surfaces and circulation.

In elevation there is a differentiation of volumes, both in their shape and height as well as in their materials, defined by the different requirements of the rooms of the center. The internal functioning requires clear functionality in the design of spaces, routes, and circulation. The development of the program raises the need to satisfy users who require a dance school offering a wide variety of activities together in a single facility.

In terms of energy efficiency, a building with the characteristics and energy requirements of the proposed project is designed with the idea of maximizing natural energy resources and optimizing materials, establishing durability and low maintenance costs, in order to facilitate and enable the future profitability of the investment.

On this basis, the orientation of the plot, and the fact that there are no adjacent buildings that can generate shadows, allow the building to be south facing to take maximum advantage of solar energy.

We propose, therefore, a building with north-south orientation, organized into two volumes with different heights and materials that separate the main functional areas. These volumes are aligned, overlapping where they are connected.

The first volume, lower in height, houses the public and transition areas into the dance halls: hall and waiting area, administration, locker rooms and small classrooms. The highest room houses the dance halls, which due to their use, require a larger interior volume.

The topography of the plot, with a slight dip to the south, favors the construction of a basement which houses the building facilities and storage area that serves the dance halls through an elevator. The interior layout of the building is planned so as not to mix internal circulation for staff with users of the center, thus facilitating its operation.

Access is via the north facade through a lobby which houses a waiting area. The common building has 2 dressing rooms for students, with access from the lobby to allow the entry of parents, and direct connection to the dance hall area. Teachers also have 2 dressing rooms, separated by gender. There are 4 teaching rooms for dance practice. Along with these rooms, there are two smaller rooms, one for music and the other for a music and media library.