KONTEXT

Dubrava – Centar Elementary School is located within a complex and heterogeneous urban fabric in eastern Zagreb, characterized by a mix of residential typologies and an insufficiently defined public center. The project responds to this context by clearly shaping the perimeter and creating a spatial gradation—from public facilities (square, playgrounds, sports areas) to controlled school zones (classrooms, gymnasium, inner park).

CONCEPT

The starting point of the project is the idea of the school as a place of real-life encounters, in contrast to everyday digital reality. At the center of the building lies an atrium—an internal landscape that becomes a pedagogical tool and a place of community, play, and learning through direct experience of space and nature.

By organizing the volume into an equilateral triangle, a compact and clearly defined perimeter is formed toward the surroundings, while the interior remains open, green, and safe. This form enables short and efficient circulation paths and direct connections between all functional units of the school.

Spaces for learning, rest, and social activities continuously flow toward the atrium, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior, and encouraging flexible use and diverse forms of teaching.

FEATURES

The building is designed as a near nZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building), with an emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability through a compact volume, high-quality insulation, and the use of heat pumps.

The structure is conceived as a reinforced concrete frame system with large spans, allowing for flexible spatial organization.

The central atrium is shaped as a “soft” green core of the school, while the outdoor areas are organized through a combination of a school square, playgrounds, and landscaped zones, ensuring a high-quality outdoor environment.