PROJECT: Primary Schoo

CLIENT: Commune d’Ursy

DATE: 2014

location: Ursy, Switzerland

AREA: 4000 SQM

status: Competition Proposal

architecture: Francisco Salgado Ré, Bruno André


The project formulates an educational facility conceived as a singular, unified spatial volume. The proposal frames architecture as an active instrument of spatial cognition and creative development, prioritizing legibility and intuitive navigation. By scaling the building as an intelligible domestic archetype, the design establishes an immediate structural clarity, aligning spatial perception with pedagogical ergonomics.

The building envelope is defined by a compact, regularized volume governed by an optimized modular grid. This geometric discipline standardizes structural spans, rationalizes internal partitioning, and organizes functional program units with mathematical precision. The clear spatial framework ensures long-term layout flexibility while maintaining a coherent tectonic logic throughout the interior volume.

The compact massing strategy minimizes the external surface-to-volume ratio, optimizing thermal envelope performance and operational resource consumption. Programmatically, this volumetric centralization compresses horizontal and vertical circulation networks, establishing direct connections between learning spaces. By consolidating the built footprint, the project preserves the surrounding topography, maximizing unbuilt exterior site area for outdoor activities and landscape integration.