Regional Prize Winner, facchinelli daboit saviane

Nuova Scuola Secondaria di I Grado a Puos d'Alpago, Belluno, Italy

Motivation of the jury. The new secondary school in Puos d'Alpago, the result of a public competition, prompts urgent reflection on the role of educational architecture within the Italian architectural debate. For decades, a significant part of the school heritage has consisted of obsolete spaces, unable to respond to contemporary climatic, social, and pedagogical conditions. Returning to the topic of schools today means returning to the topic of the quality of public space, collective well-being, and freedom in learning.

Located in a transitional area between urban and agricultural landscapes, the school acts as a true territorial and pedagogical hub. The continuity between interior and exterior, the presence of the park that runs through the building, and the covered square as a central space create a hybrid, inclusive, and multifunctional environment in which space becomes a true “third teacher”: a place that challenges, welcomes, and stimulates without imposing.

In contrast to the hierarchical and authoritarian school models that have historically marked Italian educational architecture—already questioned by Giancarlo De Carlo—the project proposes open, permeable, and versatile spaces capable of supporting contemporary pedagogies based on autonomy and collaboration.

Recognizing the New Secondary School in Puos d'Alpago means affirming the need to renew educational architecture as a cultural and political priority.