2009 RAFAL (Alicante)

SECONDARY SCHOOL
IES RAFAL

The project arose from concerns about a possible suburb developing in Rafal, which would engulf surrounding plantations that we wished to preserve. During the project phase, the area was surrounded by the orchards of the Vega Baja of Alicante. We decided to protect one of the plots from the surroundings by means of a walled enclosure that would define a clear limit. A walled Oasis that preserves the orchards following the example of the Mysterious Spaceships (Silent Running; Douglas Trumbull 1972). Inside, contrasting with the severity of the walled image, we advanced more complex geometries, recalling the image of children’s stacked boxes. The circulations give rise to transition spaces, many of which are open-air, given the sunny climate. The latter enhances the patio as a place for communication, access and a direct relationship between students and the garden area. The green area twists out of shape, becoming a platform, an elevated visual vantage point onto the last recesses of the orchard near the IES RAFAL school.