The elementary school “Dante Alighieri” is located close to the town of Romano d'Ezzelino, in an area characterized by the presence of the Molin hill, which forms a natural backdrop to the north, by the access road to the west and by the public parking in the school south. The existing school building has required a series of interventions which derived from a sum of several factors: the identification of a defined space for the school canteen, the adjustment of some classrooms and the expansion of the school in relation to educational needs. In the design phase it was decided to move the classrooms and accessory spaces in the north block, cause to its small size, lack of natural light and spatial isolation with the educational activities, and to insert here the canteen, for the optimal position separated from the classrooms, for its limited use during the day, and for its large size. In this way it was possible to allocate the south extension to the placement of new classrooms and laboratories, a library, a staff room and a media room. The entrance has been improved by making it more welcoming and bright. The outdoor areas have been enhanced by extending the garden area to the south and covering the central axis of the pedestrian path of the school with a cantilever roof. The building access is through an area with arcades, which leads to a reception area, by following an axis located between the garden and the school, from which develops the entire distribution. The vertical connections between ground floor and first floor have been upgraded with new stairs thus allowing a reduction of the flow of users from the existing stairs, while the connection between the ground and the low floor is through a ramp. In the south expansion, classrooms and laboratories are built around an atrium balcony that overlooks the ground floor. The natural lighting in this area is through the glass roof and a double height allows direct lighting for the atrium on the ground floor. A new perception of space is created for students, with the different architectural elements and finishes used such as: the small connecting bridge between the atrium and the computer laboratory on the first floor and the outdoor balcony that allows a direct view to the garden for the classrooms. The interior finishes and the pavings, complying with health standards, have proposed multiple perceptual situations in order to characterize different environments and activities. The work was carried out stepwise in time, distinguishing the different areas in order to allow the simultaneous use of the school by students and teachers.

The elementary school “Dante Alighieri” is located close to the town of Romano d'Ezzelino, in an area characterized by the presence of the Molin hill, which forms a natural backdrop to the north, by the access road to the west and by the public parking in the school south. The existing school building has required a series of interventions which derived from a sum of several factors: the identification of a defined space for the school canteen, the adjustment of some classrooms and the expansion of the school in relation to educational needs. In the design phase it was decided to move the classrooms and accessory spaces in the north block, cause to its small size, lack of natural light and spatial isolation with the educational activities, and to insert here the canteen, for the optimal position separated from the classrooms, for its limited use during the day, and for its large size. In this way it was possible to allocate the south extension to the placement of new classrooms and laboratories, a library, a staff room and a media room. The entrance has been improved by making it more welcoming and bright. The outdoor areas have been enhanced by extending the garden area to the south and covering the central axis of the pedestrian path of the school with a cantilever roof. The building access is through an area with arcades, which leads to a reception area, by following an axis located between the garden and the school, from which develops the entire distribution. The vertical connections between ground floor and first floor have been upgraded with new stairs thus allowing a reduction of the flow of users from the existing stairs, while the connection between the ground and the low floor is through a ramp. In the south expansion, classrooms and laboratories are built around an atrium balcony that overlooks the ground floor. The natural lighting in this area is through the glass roof and a double height allows direct lighting for the atrium on the ground floor. A new perception of space is created for students, with the different architectural elements and finishes used such as: the small connecting bridge between the atrium and the computer laboratory on the first floor and the outdoor balcony that allows a direct view to the garden for the classrooms. The interior finishes and the pavings, complying with health standards, have proposed multiple perceptual situations in order to characterize different environments and activities. The work was carried out stepwise in time, distinguishing the different areas in order to allow the simultaneous use of the school by students and teachers.