Projects · Education
Educational architecture in Costa Rica
In a school, a childcare center or a library we look for daylight, ventilation and shared spaces designed for each age. We work with school boards, foundations and municipalities from the brief to the finished building.
How we think about it
Every project reviews about a hundred topics, from the site and the light to cost and operation. On each one we take a position. The sum of those positions is what gives the project its shape.
Some we often consider.
The body first
Classrooms, corridors and courtyards at the scale of each age, with accessibility for the whole school community.
Space and light
We design the classroom in volume, not only in plan. Daylight without glare, cross ventilation and control of rain noise over the classroom.
Shared before individual
Courtyards, libraries and sports courts that the neighborhood can also use outside school hours.
The building ten years on
A campus that grows in stages and can be built while the school keeps running.
From territory to detail
We review the site and the building in all their dimensions before proposing. We return to that reading at every stage of the project.
- TerritoryEcology, climate, soil and energy of the site.
- PhysicalEcology, climate, soil and energy
- CityMobility, land use, urban image and community.
- UrbanInfrastructure, mobility, land use and urban image
- SocialCommunity, culture, economy, politics and regulations
- BuildingSpace, form and function at the service of the people who use it.
- SpaceRelationships, organization, hierarchy and proportion
- FormVolume, composition and architectural system
- FunctionProgram, circulation, access and building services
- DetailLight, color, texture and the way each material comes together.
- TectonicsConstruction system, materials and building time
- PerceptionLight, color, texture, views, air and scents
We support the whole process with one team. Design, permits, costs and construction inspection, so that what was designed gets built.
Extension and renovation of schools
Many schools grow on the same land without stopping classes. LDB designs the extension and renovation of schools starting from what already exists, with a master plan that organizes growth in stages. We take care of daylight and natural ventilation and set out the steps to build and obtain permits from the start.
Extension
Campus master plan
It defines where each grade level grows, how the buildings connect and what is built first.
Extension
Work in stages and during holidays
The noisiest work is scheduled outside school hours and each stage is handed over ready to use.
Extension
Classrooms for each age
Daylight, cross ventilation, acoustics and furniture suited to each level, from preschool to secondary school.
Extension
Regulations and cost from the start
The design meets the guidelines of the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and Law 7600 on accessibility, with a cost estimate from schematic design so the school board or the principal can decide with numbers.
Spaces for every educational approach
Every school teaches in its own way. Before designing we talk with the leadership and the teaching staff about their educational project and translate it into space, because a Montessori environment, a STEM lab or an outdoor classroom call for different scales, materials and relationships.
STEM and labs
Flexible workshops, visible installations and tables to build and test.
Montessori
Prepared environments at the child’s scale, materials within reach and direct access outdoors.
Reggio Emilia
An atelier and a central piazza where learning is on display.
Waldorf
Natural materials, soft light and spaces for the rhythm of the day.
Constructivist and project-based
Classrooms that open up and join, and places to exhibit and present.
International Baccalaureate
The library as a research hub and rooms for group work.
Ecological and outdoor
The courtyard, the garden and the shade of the trees are classrooms too.
Academic
Quiet, well-lit classrooms, good acoustics and places to concentrate.
Frequently asked questions
Can we build without closing the school?
Yes. The noisiest works are scheduled outside school hours and during holidays, and each phase is handed over ready to use.
Which regulations apply to a school?
The MEP infrastructure guidelines, Law 7600 on accessibility and the Fire Department and Ministry of Health standards. The design complies from the schematic stage.
How do you help a school board decide?
With a cost estimate from the schematic design and a phased plan, so the board or the principal decides with numbers and can secure the funds.
Can we expand on what already exists?
Yes. We read the current building, its structure and its use, and plan the expansion on what already works.
Is your school growing or in need of renovation?
We work with you with a cost estimate from the schematic design and phased works outside school hours.