Design competition for the preparation of the Construction, Redevelopment, and Expansion Project for the Restelo Secondary School Parish of Belém
The concept underlying the requalification and expansion project for the Restelo Secondary School is titled "O Parque do Conhecimento" (The Knowledge Park), proposing a radically new educational model. The central idea is to overcome the traditional image of the school as a closed building that acts as a barrier between the interior and the exterior, in order to establish a new system of dynamic balance between advanced technical solutions and an architecture profoundly sensitive to the urban and landscape context. To achieve the desired standards of quality, functionality, and sustainability, the project opts for the integral demolition of the old pavilions and the construction of a new, modern, and efficient complex. The philosophical core of the project lies in transforming the school from an isolated and confined institution into a dynamic structure fully integrated into its environment, both urban and natural. The title itself, "The Knowledge Park," evokes the image of a learning environment that extends beyond the classroom walls, merging with the surrounding green landscape. The decision to proceed with demolition and new construction is not just a choice for economic efficiency, but the basis for implementing this paradigm shift: only by starting from scratch it is possible to guarantee consistency between the conceptual vision and the practical realization of a Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) and functionally impeccable structure. This integration is primarily achieved through a new permeability that articulates around the Pátio Central (Central Patio), which is no longer a simple recreation yard but a true catalytic core of school life. Its strategic reorganization, in a central and acoustically protected position, allows all the school's main functions to be wrapped around it. On the ground floor, the more public and high-flow areas, such as the cafeteria, auditorium, and library, are arranged to make the complex inviting and open to the external community, creating a new, representative, and welcoming urban facade along Rua Antão Gonçalves, thereby reinforcing the school's openness to the community.

Moving up to the upper floors, where the formal learning classrooms are located, contact with the exterior is not interrupted; on the contrary, it is mediated by open connectors such as galleries and elevated plazas that serve as genuine "covered social spaces." These elements not only ensure efficient circulation but actively promote social interaction and utilize passive bioclimatic strategies, allowing for cross-ventilation and the optimization of natural light, in line with the sustainability objective. The choice of materials such as steel for the mixed framed structure and cladding in glass, recycled aluminum, and precast concrete, underscores the commitment to combining great modular flexibility (essential for future adaptations) with a strong emphasis on durability and the reduction of the ecological footprint.

In essence, "O Parque do Conhecimento" proposes itself as an exemplary model where architecture actively supports well-being, sociality, and energy efficiency, transforming the act of learning into a holistic experience connected to both the natural and urban contexts.