Pivadenco Rural School
by Duque Motta & AA + MAPAA
Los Sauces, Araucanía, Chile
Project details
Year
2024
Project year
2023
Building area
417 m²
project website
Location
Team credits
architects
- Duque Motta & AA -
Rodrigo Duque,
Francois Julian,
Alessandra de Lisio,
Nicoló Zingoni.
- MAPAA -
Cristian Larrain,
Matias Madsen.
contributing partners
Hoehmann & Stagno,
Estudio Par,
Tomás Venegas.
commissioned by
Chilean Ministry of Education
Pivadenco Rural School is part of a Ministry of Education initiative to develop eight small public schools in La Araucanía, Chile, the country’s poorest region with a significant Mapuche population and ongoing historical conflicts. Duque Motta AA designed four of these schools – two in the Los Sauces district and two in Melipeuco – addressing the need for an intercultural approach within diverse communities. In this sparsely populated area, the school serves as the hub of community life.
The studio adopted a unified strategy for all four schools, viewing them as educational and social centres. To reinforce this, they consolidated common-use programmes, such as the dining room, circulation areas, access hall and covered patio, into a single expansive space. This central area runs transversely through the building beneath a high roof, enhanced by large north-facing skylights that provide ample natural light. Sliding doors blur the boundaries between this communal space and the classrooms, allowing for flexible use and integration. This design creates a hierarchical space that defines functional relationships, connects with the outdoors, and accommodates various educational and social activities.
Architecturally, the school draws inspiration from traditional warehouses in the region while employing a contemporary aesthetic with locally sourced materials. The building features metal cladding, volcanic stone and a prominent wooden structure for seamless integration into the environment. The use of wood reflects traditional architecture and aligns with modern trends emphasizing renewable, anti-seismic materials that absorb carbon.
The site includes three distinct areas, including an educational zone with native flora, fruit trees and vegetables, highlighting local biodiversity and promoting sustainable resource production. Additionally, the central space serves as a thermoregulator, utilizing skylights, thermal mass and cross-ventilation to enhance energy efficiency and thermal comfort year-round.
Duque Motta AA is a small architecture studio based in Santiago, Chile, founded in 2004 by Rodrigo Duque. The studio employs a people-centred methodology and collaborative approach, using design as a tool for social improvement while being sensitive to physical, cultural and environmental contexts. Their work emphasizes identity, living experiences and community development.
Currently, the studio focuses on two main areas: developing public school models in remote areas, having completed six school projects, and studying affordable, integrated housing solutions. They are working on a pilot project for public rental housing and a model for micro-densification in deteriorated urban areas, with the first three buildings nearing completion.
Rodrigo Duque, in collaboration with Cristián Larraín and Matias Madsen of MAPAA, has designed the Pivadenco Rural School. MAPAA, a multidisciplinary team, specializes in the planning, design, construction and analysis of complex building projects. With expertise in large-scale public-use developments – including healthcare, education, sports, research and residential facilities – the team brings together diverse skills and perspectives to address complex challenges. Their approach emphasizes a responsive, collective vision, aiming to create effective, adaptive and contextually integrated solutions.
The prize money will fund the construction of external school infrastructure, including playground equipment and landscape design, enhancing the internal spaces and highlighting the importance of outdoor areas for community interaction and enriching educational experiences.
Special attention will be given to school access and the external projection of the central space, with improved pavements designed to withstand rain and ensure year-round usability. The project aims to strengthen the native forest area, fruit trees and orchard, making these elements more defined to help children learn in harmony with their culture and worldview, closely linked to the land. Finally, a play area will be created to encourage free interaction among children as a valuable learning experience.
- Information for the project text was provided by Duque Motta & AA and MAPAA -
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Advisory Committee Statement
The Pivadenco Rural School receives the award for Social Engagement for its holistic response to the needs of the indigenous Mapuche population in Chile’s rural and economically disadvantaged La Araucanía region. Serving as a central gathering place for diverse local communities, the school seamlessly integrates educational and social programmes within a single, open and adaptable space under an impressive wooden roof structure, which impressed the advisory committee. Built with locally sourced materials and designed in harmony with local aesthetics, the school exemplifies attractive architecture.