Eduardo Castro was project manager for the new Department of Defense Dependent’s elementary and high school in the U.S. Navy base in Rota, Spain. Separation of the high school and elementary school was achieved by creating two distinct entrances and central plazas. The campuses are joined by a shared library with entrances from the two plazas.
In addition to prominent new entrance points, enhancements to the school included new sidewalks, plantings, walkways, courtyards, and piazzas at the crossroads of the main pedestrian routes.
To reduce wall and slab cracking, an air gap was created between the framed slab floor and the earth to allow the ground to swell and prevent underside loading.
The structural framing consists of precast prestressed joists, with concrete topping between cast-in-place concrete frames, a common Spanish construction method. Covered walkways that join the buildings have their own similar but independent precast joist/cast-in-place concrete framing. The walkways employ vernacular materials: white stucco, sloped tile roofs, and natural wood.
