A former teacher and a graduate founded Liceo Impulso in Casavalle
Liceo Impulso is an educational center that opened in March 2013 to provide a quality education to teenagers with high academic expectations, using a model that involves the entire family.
To achieve this, one of the key factors was the location where this educational experience would take place. That is where architect Manuel Herrera Lussich, a former professor at the School of Architecture, and architect Guzmán Herrera, a graduate of the school, became involved in the project and took charge of the architectural design of this high school, which is directed by Fabrizio Patritti, who holds a certificate in Educational Planning and Management from the Institute of Education at Universidad ORT Uruguay, among other prestigious academic credentials. We spoke with the two architects and asked them a few questions so they could tell us about this project. “We were very immersed in the school’s social mission before we began designing,” they said.
-Why did you decide to design this project for the Impulso High School in the Casavalle neighborhood? How did the opportunity to lead this project come about for you?
-After conducting certain research studies, the Impulso Foundation determined that the Casavalle neighborhood was the ideal location, as it has a large population of students who have dropped out of school and face significant learning difficulties.
-What are the distinctive features of this project’s architectural design?
-The foundation is made up of a group of top-tier Uruguayan professionals. At the same time, it is a foundation formed by a group of friends. It was thanks to the relationship we both have with the members of the group that the opportunity to do something so wonderful arose.
-How did the architectural proposal you presented align with the social proposal put forward by Liceo Impulso?
-The main characteristic of the school is its typology; the way the different modules—whether classrooms or administrative spaces—are arranged around a large central green courtyard, forming a hexagon. Through the form and materials of the project, we sought to integrate the students into the school and the school into the neighborhood. As for the proposal, we’re not sure if there was a conscious coordination, since we’ve been involved in this project from the very beginning. We were all involved in selecting the site, so we toured the neighborhood several times with the foundation’s staff. That meant we were deeply immersed in the school’s social mission before we even began designing.
-Were there specific design aspects you emphasized given the project’s unique nature?
-Yes. First of all, this was a project that had to be completed in eight months, so we had to find a design that could be executed within that timeframe and that, at the same time, could be realized within the foundation’s budget without compromising architectural quality. In accordance with the program’s requirements, we focused on the overall integration of the complex. This led to the creation of modules connected by a perimeter gallery that brings life to the central courtyard, the heart of the project.