The intervention takes the form of a functional expansion of the existing plexus and represents a strategic infrastructure aimed at enhancing the provision of schooling under the full-time regime, consistent with the guidelines of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP).
The Mentana Street Primary School is organized into two main wings (east and west), arranged orthogonally to the street front, with a courtyard layout that leaves an open space in the center for greenery and recreation. The central body, which houses the hall and main pathways, is connected to the teaching, administrative and service spaces.
The design of the new cafeteria building is grafted in a barycentric position with respect to the existing complex, taking advantage of the natural polarity of the courtyard and thus ensuring maximum accessibility from all functional school blocks. Such placement allows:
that enhance the cafeteria not only as a technical space, but as an educational and social environment.
In addition, the new building does not interfere with existing educational activities during the construction phase due to its location outside the main classrooms and routes. This ensures the full operation of the school during construction.
Architecturally and functionally, the intervention has the following specific objectives:
(a) Functional and spatial integration with the existing building The canteen is configured as a coherent and connected extension to the existing school complex. The barycentric location and direct horizontal connection with the school corridors ensure distribution continuity, streamlining of flows and full accessibility. The new volume does not interrupt, but completes the functional geometry of the central courtyard, consolidating its urban layout.
(b) Optimization of internal distribution
The layout is designed to:
(c) Increased quality of user experience.
The refectory is not conceived as an ancillary room, but as an educational environment, capable of positively influencing the school experience. The ample provision of natural light, acoustic treatment of the rooms, low-emissivity materials and visual continuity with the outdoor space are determining factors in defining environmental comfort.
(d) Universal design and integrated accessibility
All spaces-including the main access, interior pathways, and restrooms-are designed according to “design for all” principles, ensuring full usability even by people with motor, sensory, or cognitive disabilities.
(e) Adaptability and flexible management over time
The building is designed to accommodate possible future changes and reorganization, thanks to:
The intervention pursues an integrated strategy of environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and
Durability, based on the following key elements:
(a) Near-zero energy building (NZEB): all design choices are geared toward maximum energy efficiency, with heat pump systems, controlled mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and photovoltaic roofing. The envelope performance is such as to ensure very low energy demand (EPh < 10 kWh/m²a).
(b) Passive systems and comfort control: sloping roofing, natural sunscreens, cross-ventilation, and materials with high thermal inertia make it possible to reduce plant load and improve indoor thermohygrometric comfort.
(c) Sustainable water management: the building is equipped with rainwater collection and storage system, which is used for toilet flushing and future irrigation of the green area. The faucets and drainage systems are low-consumption.
(d) Materials with low environmental impact and CAM compliant: all materials provided (insulation, coatings, finishes, fixtures) are certified according to Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM), in accordance with DM June 23, 2022.
1.1 Compositional and formal setting
The architectural design of the school extension intended as a cafeteria was conceived from a simple and rigorous distribution scheme based on maximum functionality, spatial clarity and compatibility with the existing building.
The new building is configured as an independent but integrated volume, placed barycentrically to the existing school complex, within the courtyard formed by the two main wings of the Mentana Street Primary School.
The architectural form is inspired by criteria of constructive rationality and geometric purity. The building body is presented as a parallelepiped with a rectangular base, developed on a single above-ground floor, characterized by:
– a sloping single-pitch roof with north-south transverse development that generates a dynamic but restrained profile consistent with the proportions of the existing buildings;
– a tapered plinth, set slightly back from the eave line, which visually lightens the volume and defines its footprint on the ground.
The choice of the sloping roof is not only formal but functional: it allows optimal placement of the photovoltaic system, the disposal of rainwater to the south, and the creation of a generous plant cavity, which houses the technical ceiling and related VMC and electrical systems.
The system of openings follows a logic of horizontality and continuity, with large ribbon windows on the north front, alternating with blind portions that provide privacy, visual comfort and internal distribution flexibility.
1.2 Planivolumetric articulation.
The floor plan distribution of the building is the result of a careful functional analysis of school and service needs, translated into a balanced and intuitive spatial composition.
The layout is divided into three main bands:
– a central strip, which houses the main refectory (about 160 m² net), the true heart of the intervention, naturally lit on three sides and devoid of internal structural elements to ensure maximum flexibility and adaptability in table settings;
– a side strip to the north, occupied by the toilets, divided by gender and sized for child and adult users, with equipment for disabilities according to current regulations;
– a southern strip, where technical rooms (plant cabin, heating plant), storage rooms and vertical plant connections (elevator shaft, staircase) are concentrated.
The main access is via a glazed link that connects the existing school corridor with the new structure, creating a covered, naturally lit filter environment that can manage flows and act as a buffer space between the two buildings.
Internally, the distribution of paths is designed to:
– Ensure the separation of “clean” flows (students) and “technical” flows (personnel, waste, maintenance),
– Promote accessibility, supervision and control by school personnel,
– Contain non-usable surfaces (hallways, blind corridors) for the benefit of effective usable area.
1.3 Relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces
Particular attention was paid to defining the relationship between the interior space of the cafeteria and the school’s outdoor space. Ribbon openings ensure a continuous visual relationship between the refectory environment and the outdoor learning garden, fostering a sense of openness, orientation, and connection with nature.
The threshold between inside and outside is treated with attention to light, transparency and climate protection:
– the glazing is equipped with low-emissivity double-glazing with integrated solar control,
– the inner sills are wide and continuous, and can serve as seating or educational support surfaces,
– the space in front of the windows is paved with draining material to ensure usability even in the winter months.
The building does not include rigid fences to the interior of the school, promoting a visual and spatial permeability between teaching and service functions, and reinforcing the pedagogical dimension of the cafeteria space as a place of everyday school living.
1.4 Integration into the landscape and urban context
The insertion of the work into the landscape context was approached with criteria of visual mitigation, morphological coherence, and environmental enhancement. The contained massing, the absence of formal discontinuities and the use of materials consistent with the existing school building contribute to the natural integration of the extension into the context.
From a perceptual point of view, the new volume does not obstruct the main views of the school grounds and is located below the ridge line of the existing buildings. The use of an extensive green roof, integrated with a photovoltaic system and designed with native essences, reduces the thermal and visual impact of the building, strengthening the ecological continuity of the school surfaces.
The treatment of outdoor spaces is an integral part of the architectural setting:
– the pavements are draining and continuous, in natural earth-colored pigmented concrete,
– perimeter greenery was designed consistent with the plexus green design, integrating Hydrangea hortensis, Lonicera caprifolium and Acer platanoides,
– outdoor lighting is LED, with low-impact ground recessed bodies.
