Eleva School: A Sustainable Architectural Marvel

Transforming Commercial Spaces into Innovative Educational Hubs

The Eleva School, located in the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, is the second unit of a significant network of schools in the city. The design team, led by Miguel Pinto Guimaraes, faced the challenge of adapting a fairly horizontal commercial building to accommodate the school's program. The solution was to eliminate a significant area of the ground floor of the largest existing building to create a covered patio. This space became the circulation and distribution hub of the school, connecting all the landscaping areas of the complex with the help of a central internal garden.

The design of the Eleva School was inspired by the original ecosystem of the region, which is based on swamp and mangrove. The external skin that overlays the entire building was designed to reduce the incidence of sunlight on the east and west facades by 50 percent. This design feature not only has an ecological purpose but also serves an educational one, as it reflects the characteristic emerged roots of the vegetation in the region. The color palette chosen for the school respects the natural chromatic variety of this type of vegetation.

One of the unique features of the Eleva School is its sustainable landscape planning. Large trees were used to contribute to the shading of the facades, and fruit trees were chosen to attract fauna. The plants specified were from the local flora, many of which are succulents and species resistant to drought, thus reducing the water consumption required to maintain other species. All pathways are made with drainage materials, and synthetic grass was proposed for the outer sports courts.

The project began in August 2017, with construction starting in December of the same year. After 14 months of construction, the school was inaugurated in February 2019, at the beginning of the Brazilian school year. The school was awarded Silver in the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2019, a testament to the remarkable design expertise and innovation demonstrated in this project.

The Eleva School is a shining example of how commercial spaces can be transformed into innovative educational hubs. By prioritizing sustainability and integrating the local ecosystem into the design, Miguel Pinto Guimaraes and his team have created a school that is not only functional and beautiful, but also serves as an educational tool for its students.