Juan Navarro Head Start / Early Head Start | Caguas

Juan Navarro School Major Renovation

State Road PR-172 KM, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Programa Head Start/Early Head Start Región Caguas

Municipio Autónomo de Caguas

2020 - 2024

The Program required the design of a state of the art Early Head Start and Head Start Facilities, rehabilitating a former rural school complex. The existing compound was a collage of structures built at different times, with precarious additions and expansions, and with serious accessibility, environmental and structural problems.

A careful historic and architectural analysis performed determined that only the oldest school building was significant and in fairly good condition. The building was a two-classroom structure built during the 1940’s as part of the government aggressive application of the New Deal Policies to the Island. Built completely in reinforced concrete and in Art-Deco style, it was located at the compound entrance and visible from the road below. Finally, it was decided to maintain this building, demolish the rest and build a new building for the children’s facilities.

Early in the design process, it was decided to grant the historic building the main role in the parti. It was cleared of all additions to rescue its exterior original features which were restored, and the administrative offices were located in this building.

The children’s facilities were concentrated in a separate building with a drop-off/pedestrian plaza mediating between them. The new building was located N-E, at an angle with the historic building. The building is composed of three parallel bars: a circulation spine in the middle is flanked by classrooms to the North and the South. The Head Start rooms are located to the southern bar while the Early Head Start rooms are to the northern bar but 48” below, to adapt it to the existing terrain levels. The central circulation spine mediates between the two bars and provide ramps and stairs creating also a lively gathering place for children and teachers. The roof of this spine is formed by the meeting of the roofs of the two bars at different heights, with long panes of glass between them, modulating the space and providing and exciting and playful interior space.

To link both buildings, the historic building central axis turns and continues thru the circulation spine of the new building. The new building has a sober contemporary architectural expression, to avoid competing with the historic building, but it reinterprets some features, as the free corners with glass, the overhangs and the round roof of the playgrounds.

An important factor taken into consideration in the Project was to provide a resilient and sustainable building, so that Head Start/Early Head Start Program can continue their operations and giving services to their program attendees before and after a natural disaster. Electric generator, rainwater and potable water cisterns were provided. Passive sustainable practices were also used, as insulated walls and roofs to lower the interior temperature and operable windows in the glass storefronts for natural ventilation and daylighting.

Design Phase:

Architecture:

MANUEL BERMÚDEZ ARQUITECTO csp

Manuel Bermúdez, AIA: Architect of Record

Mariela Bravo Pascual AIA

Site:

A.G. Engineers

Eng. Ángel González

Structural:

Fernando Cortés & Associates Structural & Civil Engineers

Eng. Fernando Cortés

Mechanical/Plumbing: