Location:

The location of the Jr. High School is in Anavros Volos, below the hill of Goritsa. In this area we find other school complexes and, as in G. Dimou the area constitutes an essential education center for the city.  The plot lies at Apollo St., Perseos St., Sirinon St. and Orminiou St.  On the Southwest it borders the Athletic Center of the area, Apollo St., and residences on the other facades, while Perseos St. and Sirinon St. do not get any traffic because they are service roads for the vehicles of the opposite residences.  On this site we already find the 2^nd Jr. High School of Volos and the study constitutes a reconstruction of the existing school building.  On this site we are considering a 12-classroom Jr. High School for 360 students, meaning 30 students in every classroom. The building follows the building program of the Organization of School Buildings.
 

Key objectives:

The aim was to avoid any pitfalls that are frequently found in school buildings and which are unpleasant elements for the students such as the “prison” school model where the building is organized is such a way so as to intensely supervise the students.  Another objective was to create a way to protect the private space from the public space without extensive use of high railings that we see in almost all schools. Also, a primary axis was the free design of the teaching areas so as to avoid the feeling of being in a “hotel”, but also free movement of the students within the school grounds.  Since the courtyard is obviously such an important element in the everyday life of the students, as it is both a playground and an area for socialization, it should have a leading role in the layout design of the school.  The aim was for the concept of the courtyard not to be strictly set in a very specific area so that the student does not have a sense of containment but to create multiple areas of socialization where the student can find his own corner and where he would not have, to a great extent, the constant supervision of teachers.
 

Main Idea and development:

With these principle axes we searched for a structure that can give us a model that would meet the above requirements. Hence the idea of a corrugation which bends within a space which to a certain extent was modeled on the “privacy conditions” it created.  From this corrugation we kept only a few elements based on the movements that were created and with the intent to have as a result some visual escapes at points of interest.  The building volumes are arranged around and on this corrugation and their floor plans are shaped by two main axes which relate to the relationship between the plot and the main street and the athletic center respectively.  The observer can walk and take in the whole situation that arises from the recesses and protrusions of the folds since the volumes are integrated by a common, legible element that is bridging. To satisfy the initial objective for free movement from and to the classrooms, access to the classrooms is outside and independently for each classroom. From the way the main building volumes are organized result four courtyard areas that become more distinct through small height differences and use of different materials.  The reason for the formation of multiple courtyard areas is for the student to find different places of socialization, each corner with a different identity and which may be associated with the classrooms in which each class is taught.