Photographer: Alejandro Mazuelas Kamiruaga

Hisbalit, leading manufacturer of mosaic tiles, has been chosen to play a main role in both the exterior and interior facades of the Nuevo Roces Primary School, promoted by the Council of Gijón (Asturias, Spain) and located in the residential district of Nuevo Roces.

Designed by the architects José Luis Quidiello and Jesús Sotelo under the direction of Mónica Costales Rodríguez and José Luis Quidiello, the project involved the construction of a Primary School six-unit building for children aged between 0 and 3 years. The school is a single-storey building formed by eight independent modules with a capacity for 78 people.

The development of the Project is based on two key concepts: first, to reflect importance of the primary school as a place of socialization for the children outside their homes and, secondly, the choice of the perfect structure that will contribute to create an optimal atmosphere for their learning and development.

Although the building is located in an urban area, it is actually related to its natural surroundings and intends to be an example of sustainable architecture of low environmental impact. In addition, its volumetry recalls the classical architecture of leaning roofs, its most characteristic feature, and it generates an exterior richness of different orientations which transmit movement.

The presence of Hisbalit
With the main purpose of adapting to the dynamism of its structure and cover the facades and roofs with a material that meet both the aesthetic and technical needs, the Hisbalit mosaic tile was the one chosen for this building, specifically the reference Open Mix 2,5 x 2,5 especially designed for this project.

The colours, specially chosen to achieve the desired look and in line with the exterior facades, were combined using the brand’s mix configurator, available on its website (http://www.hisbalit.es/configurador ). This application allows the user to create unique and exclusive mixes with unlimited possibilities. It is without any doubt an excellent choice for those projects that seek for an appealing and differential solution.
On the inside of the building we find an alternation of empty spaces and filled ones which create a multifunctional space where the day-to-day of the school happens. Here, the special mix Open Mix of Hisbalit is used again, included in the closures of the classrooms towards the central space. This one is presented as an ambit of expansion of the classrooms, the playing areas and the interaction zones, where the kids do different recreational activities. All in all, it is a magical place full of nooks and crannies, which extend to the outside area by two patios at the end of each wing of the building.

Regarding the washrooms and food preparation areas, the mixes used in them are the references 255 A, 108 A and 115 A of the Unicolor collection in the same format mentioned previously.

These materials suit perfectly to the modern, minimal and happy aesthetics of the space. The privileged features of the Hisbalit mosaic tiles are key for architects because they are made of a non-porous material which guarantees the correct hygiene and cleaning needs in a school.
Besides, due to its resistance to abrupt temperature changes, bumps and to wear, mosaic tiles are optimal for a space where a lot of activity happens. In addition to that, it acts as an insulator and prevents frictions, moisture and the appearance of fungus. Furthermore, it becomes a highly depreciable investment which requires very little maintenance and a high durability, with a product lifetime of between 35 and 40 years.

A Project linked to the concept “house-school”
Kids identify the leaning roof with the image of a house and this is the way they draw it from a very young age: the one formed by a prismatic base, a gable roof, a window and a chimney.

The Nuevo Roces School project is based on this idea, and it gives birth to the concept of “house-school”, inspired in the first lines that kids draw. In the same way, the nursery school is conceived as a second home for the children, since it is a place where they will spend most of their time and where they will learn how to relate to the other kids and their environment.

On the inside, there is a bright space that is fully connected to the outside through large windows skylights whose main purpose is to ventilate and illuminate but which, in turn, generate enriching sensations for the children. In addition, thanks to its interconnected spaces through crannies and windows, the educators have a continuous visual control of the children.

All this elements define a solid and emphatic image to the exterior, and a kind, friendly one on the inside, which both set a welcoming place for the children that makes them feel like home.

Hisbalit Mosaico
With over 50 years of experience, Hisbalit has raised the art of the mosaic to the next level, as the leading company in the design and manufacturing of high-quality, ecological, 100% recyclable mosaic tiles.
Its main goal has always been to develop innovative, practical and durable solutions to cover all kind of spaces. They use 100% recycled glass and natural pigments in order to make of mosaic tiles an element of sustainable and durable building and decoration, with a product lifecycle between 35 and 40 years.