Troiano Delfico – Lower Secondary School

The project is located in the heart of the urban fabric, near the town hall, between Via San Francesco d’Assisi and Via Gabriele D’Annunzio. The settlement concept places the school building along the northern edge of the intervention area, in order to define a coherent and high-quality sequence of public spaces:

1. The new Piazza San Francesco, created through the expansion and pedestrianization of the street of the same name, is visually anchored by the Church of Sant’Antonio da Padova
2. The new public facilities—the Auditorium and the gymnasium—are designed in terms of access and circulation to be shared with the city
3. The new “Santo Stefano” park, generated by connecting the green areas of the new school with existing ones
4. The school conceived as an educational and experiential platform

The school building is developed over four above-ground floors: ground floor (agorà, collective activities, complementary functions, etc.) and three upper levels dedicated to teaching activities.

The school complex is conceived as a place for education and social cohesion; a building that brings together, within a unified design, both the territory and educational needs—an asset made available to the entire community.

The concept envisions a single large space defined by a translucent photovoltaic glass canopy—an active structure acting as a link between the new “Santo Stefano” park and the new Piazza San Francesco. These two public spaces, generated by the “Troiano Delfico” school project, establish a new urban centrality.

Alongside traditional enclosed classrooms, the design introduces an “open-air classroom”: a fully equipped teaching terrace that effectively doubles the space available to each class group. All teaching terraces are south-facing and protected from direct solar radiation by the large “active canopy,” conceived as a vertical extension of the new Santo Stefano park.

Each floor is designed to accommodate all seven sections of a given grade level: first-year classes on the first floor, second-year classes on the second floor, and third-year classes on the third floor. This solution creates homogeneous educational environments where students can interact and share experiences with their peers.

The new school includes all functional spaces required for teaching and collective activities as defined by Ministerial Decree DM 18.12.1975, while also incorporating the “Buona Scuola” guidelines and the more recent “Scuola Futura” directives.

The classroom aggregation system is intentionally simple, allowing for multiple teaching scenarios: standard configuration, testing configuration, workshop setup, outdoor learning configuration, etc.

Spaces are designed to maximize permeability between interior and exterior through the use of high-performance sliding glass partitions, ensuring excellent acoustic comfort.

Visual comfort is enhanced through careful selection of color schemes, adjustable internal shading systems, and precise calibration of artificial and natural lighting. This allows dynamic lighting scenarios, including circadian rhythm management, while also reducing electricity consumption associated with artificial lighting.

The new lower secondary school “Troiano Delfico” is conceived as an inclusive project based on principles of universal design, ensuring accessibility and usability for all users without the need for adaptations or specialized interventions.

Vertical circulation is concentrated along the northern façade, overlooking the new Piazza San Francesco. Staircases and elevators are fully visible from the public space and are conceived as an extension of the square itself. At ground level, the building connects to the city through a shared platform. Access to teaching areas is independent and separate from access to the Auditorium and gymnasium, which can be used outside school hours.

The main shared public space is the new “Santo Stefano” park, an open and equipped plateau of approximately 3,500 sqm.

The project is developed in accordance with the DNSH (Do No Significant Harm) principle, aiming to minimize environmental impact throughout the building’s lifecycle—from design to future decommissioning. It references key regulatory and environmental standards, including CAM criteria, the NZEB model, and the LEED protocol, targeting a high level of sustainability.

From an energy perspective, the design adopts solutions that significantly reduce consumption compared to reference values, thanks to a high-performance building envelope and efficient systems such as geothermal heat pumps, radiant systems, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and photovoltaic installations. Integrated and intelligent system management further optimizes performance.

Climate change adaptation is also addressed through extensive green areas, permeable materials and paving, and systems for rainwater collection and management, aimed at improving the microclimate and mitigating heat island effects. Water consumption is reduced through low-flow devices and rainwater reuse.

Special attention is given to the construction phase, organized according to circular economy principles: at least 75% of construction waste is expected to be recovered and recycled, along with measures to limit emissions, dust, and environmental impacts. Material selection prioritizes sustainable, recyclable, and certified solutions.

Project data:
⦁ Total new building area: approx. 3,648 sqm
⦁ “Santo Stefano” park (external spaces): approx. 3,500 sqm
⦁ External areas:
Parking and circulation: 960 sqm
Paved surfaces: 1,175 sqm
Green areas: 1,150 sqm
⦁ Floors above ground: 4
1 ground floor (collective spaces)
3 teaching floors
⦁ Classrooms (per level): 301 sqm
⦁ Circulation and services: 850 sqm
⦁ Gymnasium: 650 sqm

CREDITS

• Architectural Design: Giovanni Vaccarini Architetti

• Project Team:
Giovanni Vaccarini
Herman Cabonetti
Matteo Preite
Elena Di Giuseppe
Martina Lombardi

• Client: Municipality of Montesilvano – PNRR Design Competition

• Location: Montesilvano (PE), Italy