Striking Spanish High School Shows Respect for Its Rural Site

Situated in La Orotava, Spain, the Rafael Arozarena Highschool was designed to blend into its surrounding topography while utilizing the building's site in a sensitive manner. Designed by <a href="http://www.amparquitectos.com/main.html" target="_blank">AMP Arquitectos</a> and completed in 2004, the design utilizes simple, low-maintenance materials to beautiful effect. The school sits on a terraced hillside, and its stained concrete and stone construction shows respect to the site's former landscape of farmland, retaining walls, and stone paths.

The high school site was formerly terraced farmland used to grow traditional crops.

The design for the school pays respect to the site by maintaining the terraced landscaping and retaining the views of the valley and sea below.

Built from simple materials like concrete and stone, the school blends into its historic past while merging with the urban zone below.

One of the upper entrances is accessed via a bridge that spans over a vegetated space.

The gymnasium is built into the hillside to maintain views of the valley below from the main school. Its sunken profile also helps to minimize energy use.

Louvered shades protect some of the windows from sun exposure.

Angled skylights funnel sun to the rooms below.

Protected vegetated courtyards provide students with comfortable spaces to gather together.

Simple design and materials inside relate to the educational function of the center.

Protected courtyards and windows help the school reduce energy use.

The school was finished in 2004 and is designed by AMP Arquitectos.

Skylights from the roof let light into the interior spaces below.

The partially-submerged gymnasium.