The project aims to refurbish a school site located in a transitional area of the city, where the stigma associated with social housing prevents proximity from translating into a continuous and unified urban fabric.

The site, covering almost 8,000 m², includes two independent buildings: the Primary School building, a P3-type modular project, and the Kindergarten building, constructed at different times during the last 30 years of the 20th century.

The aim was to create a new street frontage, incorporating an accessible ramp system and a new entrance gate, reinforcing the facility’s identity and its presence within the neighbourhood, while mitigating the sense of separation resulting from the school’s established elevation. Within the site, a new element is introduced: a lightweight structure that unifies the two buildings and the new entrance gate through a covered and sheltered connection. This structure frames and organises the playground areas, clarifying play and sports areas while defining protected zones for the school spaces and service areas.

Infante D. Henrique Primary School and Kindergarten
Lisboa, Portugal
2018—2024
client Lisboa Ocidental SRU, EM S.A.
project team Leonardo Semedo, Tânia Oliveira, Joana Makosh
construction RUCE – Construção e Engenharia, LDA