From low-impact construction solutions to the reuse of existing buildings, projects demonstrate how architecture can expand access to education and strengthen ties with the community and the territory
Submitted at Mar 12, 2026, 8:00 AM
(Reprodução/CASACOR)
In different regions of Brazil, school projects have incorporated principles of sustainability, integration with the surroundings, and openness to the community. By combining environmental strategies, the use of local materials, and collective gathering spaces, these initiatives show how the built project can directly influence the teaching and learning experience.
Módulo João de Barro, por MACh Arquitetos e BIRI. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)
In contexts ranging from rural areas to urban outskirts and adapted former industrial complexes, architecture appears as a tool to stimulate new forms of occupation and gathering. The projects below illustrate how different architectural solutions can contribute to expanding the possibilities of teaching and learning in the country. Check it out!
Módulo João de Barro, por MACh Arquitetos e BIRI. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)
Designed by the studios MACh Arquitetos and BIRI, the Módulo João de Barro was completed in 2023 at Escola Vila Ninho, in Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais. At about 108 m², the building is part of the school’s expansion plan focused on pedagogical practices connected to nature and sustainability. Sited in a Cerrado area near the Rio das Velhas basin, the project seeks to establish a direct relationship between architecture, learning, and landscape, valuing children’s contact with the natural project.
Módulo João de Barro, por MACh Arquitetos e BIRI. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)
The construction prioritizes lightweight materials and industrialized systems, such as wood, glass, polycarbonate, and drywall, which allow quick assembly, lower environmental impact, and even community participation. The proposal also uses cross ventilation and natural lighting, reducing energy consumption, in addition to simple solutions for thermal and acoustic comfort. With a discreet and flexible language, the module was conceived to grow over time, keeping pace with the school’s needs.
Uma Escola Sustentável Brasil, por Sem Muros Arquitetura Integrada. (Paula Monroy e Emilio Echevarría/CASACOR)
In the rural area of Mogi das Cruzes, a municipality in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, the expansion of the Escola Municipal Rural Nossa Senhora da Conceição gave rise to the project Uma Escola Sustentável Brasil, completed in 2024 by the firm Sem Muros Arquitetura Integrada. The intervention is part of the Latin American program Una Escuela Sustentable, by the NGO TAGMA, which promotes educational buildings with low environmental impact. The school occupied a 1950s building with precarious infrastructure, and the project sought to improve the existing spaces while expanding the covered area and conditions of use for students and teachers.
Uma Escola Sustentável Brasil, por Sem Muros Arquitetura Integrada. (Paula Monroy e Emilio Echevarría/CASACOR)
The proposal combines natural materials and ecological solutions, with new timber structures and lightweight building systems. Among the sustainable strategies are the ecological treatment of wastewater, the use of a green roof, and elements built with local resources, such as straw infill and furniture made from leftover wood. One of the central spaces is a polygonal multipurpose room, with rammed-earth walls and a zenithal opening that brings in natural light, creating a playful project integrated with the landscape. The entire process was developed in a participatory way, involving the school community and students in both the design and construction.
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
Amid the Cerrado landscape in Formoso do Araguaia, Tocantins, the Moradias Infantis project reorganizes the residential area of Escola Canuanã, a rural institution maintained by Fundação Bradesco. Completed in 2017, the complex was developed by the studios Aleph Zero and Rosenbaum to house students who live in a boarding-school regime. Instead of large collective dormitories, the proposal creates small housing units organized into two villages — male and female — with spaces that seek to bring the school closer to the idea of home and strengthen the sense of belonging among students.
(Leonardo Finotti, Diego Cognato e Galeria Experiência/CASACOR)
The architecture combines local building techniques and natural materials, such as wood and bricks handmade on site. Large ventilated roofs and open areas — with verandas, courtyards, hammock areas, and common rooms — foster climatic comfort and social interaction among students. The project was also developed with strong participation from the school community, incorporating cultural references and construction know-how from the region.
Escola de Ensino Médio SESC Barra, por Indio da Costa Arquitetura. (Pedro Kok/CASACOR)
In Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, a large educational campus brings together teaching, housing, and cultural spaces in a single ensemble. The SESC Barra High School, designed by the firm Indio da Costa Arquitetura and completed in 2007, was conceived to receive about 500 students from across the country, who live and study on site. Sited on a plot of approximately 130,000 m², the project follows the campus-school model, organizing different buildings — classrooms, library, restaurant, theater, dormitories, and sports areas.
Escola de Ensino Médio SESC Barra, por Indio da Costa Arquitetura. (Pedro Kok/CASACOR)
The ensemble is structured around a central lake, with circulation provided by internal roads and bike lanes that connect the various blocks. The architecture uses concrete, steel, and wood, combined with large open areas and gathering spaces that integrate the buildings with the landscape. The project also incorporates environmental strategies, such as green roofs, water reuse, and efficient infrastructure systems.
Escola FDE Várzea Paulista, por FGMF Arquitetos. (FGMF/CASACOR)
Sited on a steep plot in Várzea Paulista, Escola FDE Várzea Paulista was completed in 2008 as part of a program by the Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da Educação (FDE), of the São Paulo state government. The project, by the firm FGMF Arquitetos, seeks to bring the school closer to the urban life of the surroundings. To this end, the site was reorganized to create a large access plaza that can be used by the community as an area for gathering and leisure.
Escola FDE Várzea Paulista, por FGMF Arquitetos. (FGMF/CASACOR)
The architecture uses a precast concrete structure, chosen for its speed of assembly, affordable cost, and construction quality. The complex is formed by a three-story block with classrooms and another single-story volume that houses the multi-sport court and a covered multipurpose hall, open to the external courtyards. Perforated concrete elements on the facade filter natural light and create a large panel that changes appearance throughout the day, while canopies and perforated surfaces help shade the spaces and reinforce the relationship between interior and exterior.
Beacon School, por Andrade Morettin Arquitetos e GOAA. (Nelson Kon/CASACOR)
Installed in former industrial warehouses in the south zone of São Paulo, Beacon School transforms a pre-existing ensemble into a contemporary school campus serving early childhood, elementary, and high school. Completed in 2016, the project was developed by the firms Andrade Morettin Arquitetos and GOAA – Gusmão Otero Arquitetos Associados and bets on the reuse of the industrial structures as a central strategy. Instead of demolishing and rebuilding, the proposal adapts the large warehouses to house classrooms, administrative areas, and collective spaces, preserving the memory of the place and reducing the impact of the work.
Beacon School, por Andrade Morettin Arquitetos e GOAA. (Nelson Kon/CASACOR)
The intervention introduces lightweight structures and industrialized construction systems within the existing volumes, creating flexible, well-lit projects. Materials such as exposed concrete, wood, glass, and metal elements help articulate the old and the new, while courtyards and circulation areas foster interaction among students of different ages. The result is a campus that values integration, transparency, and reuse, transforming the former industrial area into an open and dynamic educational space.
Fundação Zerrenner, por Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)
On the outskirts of Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, the Educational Unit of Fundação Zerrenner was implemented on a large site near Serra de Santa Helena, in an area with a predominantly residential, low-income profile. Completed in 2016, the project by Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados proposes an educational complex capable of transforming the surroundings through education and social interaction. The school brings together elementary, high school, and technical education on a campus designed to welcome thousands of students and integrate pedagogical, sports, and cultural activities.
Fundação Zerrenner, por Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados. (Jomar Bragança/CASACOR)
The ensemble is organized into three main blocks — two dedicated to learning areas and a central one that houses an auditorium and gym — connected by a large internal plaza, the meeting place of campus life. A curved metal portal marks the entrance and articulates the volumes, while louvers and lightweight panels help control solar incidence and favor natural ventilation. Built with a concrete and steel structure, the project prioritizes clear organization, environmental comfort, and ample open areas, with more than 8,000 m² of green areas, creating an educational space integrated with the landscape.
