set architects

The design of the new Sassa school complex is inspired by the frame structures used in children’s climbing games. This playful metaphor seeks to convey values of freedom and social interaction as fundamental principles underpinning dynamic and innovative teaching.

The project comprises a nursery, primary and secondary schools, a gymnasium, and a multifunctional building. It is conceived as a civic centre that integrates educational activities with a wide range of services open to the community, allowing students, parents, and citizens to play an active role. The aim is to create a space with complementary activities within a unified school complex. The proposal is a carefully measured intervention that engages with the landscape through simple geometries, careful attention to proportion, and the use of natural materials. The architectural composition features a dynamic arrangement of independent volumes, promoting continuous interaction between indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as between learning environments and open courtyards within the natural landscape.

The design of communal areas is a key element of the project. A chequerboard spatial layout defines a system of open courtyards that delineate various shared spaces—squares, public gardens, semi-public and private areas. Even the interior spaces of individual buildings incorporate communal areas such as the atrium-agora, shared rooms, and accessible rooftops. These are flexible spaces conceived as ateliers, equipped with modular furnishings to accommodate a variety of activities. The external frame, inspired by climbing structures, serves multiple purposes: it forms a pergola that links the different buildings, shields south-facing classrooms from direct sunlight using brise-soleil systems and pergolas, and acts as a transitional filter between the buildings and surrounding gardens.

The interiors of the school complex are conceived as a stimulating landscape in which each student can develop autonomy and curiosity. Both formal and informal spaces encourage active engagement, providing room for creativity and enabling students to choose how they inhabit and personalise their environments. Many areas within the complex are designed to be adaptable, with modular furniture, movable walls, curtains, and similar features allowing the spaces to evolve based on need.

Each school building features an entrance hall that functions not only as a space for security, reception, and circulation but also as a shared social space—an indoor square. This area is intended as a multipurpose venue, accommodating a wide variety of activities.

Classrooms are conceived as “home bases”, defined by high levels of flexibility and adaptability to support various pedagogical approaches. Movable and modular furniture allows settings to be rearranged for small or medium-sized group work, discussions, brainstorming sessions, teacher-led instruction, student presentations, or whole-class activities. The use of movable walls enables classrooms to expand into adjoining communal or transitional spaces, making boundaries highly flexible. Additionally, sliding doors between interconnected classrooms support inter-class collaboration and shared activities.