Ancón de Loíza
This project’s intent is to rehabilitate the old Dr. Clemente Fernández school, located in Loiza, Puerto Rico. A brief exploration of the building led, to confirm its construction in 1914, being one of the first concrete structures in the area. Its original structure is made up of three main bodies with a circulation that flanks its southern facade with arches and mosaics which link with the currents of the Spanish Revival, Prairie Style, and Art Deco. It served as a school for approximately 50 years with minimal alterations.
An important event in the transformation of the building was the separation of Loíza Aldea from Canóvanas, where the school became the mayoralty of the new town. At this moment, the urban area was consolidated, and the building began to form part of the new public square. It underwent significant alterations, such as the replacement of the wooden and metal hip roof with a flat concrete one, and the replacement of wooden doors and windows with metal ones. The town’s development demanded greater space capacity in the mayor's office, which led to the construction of a new mayor’s office, thus leaving this structure as a support building for the new construction. During the last decade it has become a municipal warehouse waiting for the possibility of a new use.
Currently, when the structure is more than 100 years old, this proposal arises. What program would be ideal for a structure in this particular site, specially being in counterpoint with the parish church of San Patricio? What relationship shall the building have with the plaza? Hence the idea of moving the municipal assembly and placing ‘public affairs, at the level of the public square’ helping to create a transparent process with participation from the community. The concrete roof, interior walls, and central body of the structure that flanks the north facade are demolished. The original window openings are recovered and that installs a new metal roof using the geometry of the original as a reference. Regarding the relationship of the building with the plaza, a resource from the collective memory of the town is used -the ancón - a wooden and metal barge that served as a bridge over the Rio Grande de Loíza. The platform, or ancón, solves the relationship problem between the building and the plaza, providing a multipurpose space where various activities of the community can take place. The multipurpose area is covered by a metal roof, which takes the implemented geometry of the original roof but rotated 180 degrees to create a sense of amplitude and to have natural light and ventilation. The intervention proposes noble and durable materials such as concrete and metal, typical of local construction and requiring little maintenance. The aluminum enclosure of the multipurpose space serves as a backdrop and recalls the vernacular use of palm leaves to enclose structures, common in coastal areas. Sustainability elements such as photovoltaic panels and the collection of rainwater from the roofs are incorporated.
