Work Management

Special Education Center

Sebastián Burgos

The work done by the staff of special education centres is, without any doubt, essential for integrating all children into society without excep-tion whatever their disability. An example of this is provided by the emplo-yees of the Special Education Centre (SEC) Sebastián Burgos, who have been carrying out their invaluable work in a centre which had been left behind over time.

The Education Department secured a substantial financial investment for the construction of the new centre despite the current economic condi-tions. The need for centres like this in the community will probably mean society as a whole will have to double its efforts in this regard.

Particular reference should be made to the co-ordinated work of the pro-fessionals of Balam Consultores S.L. and the SEC’s construction firm Sedesa S.A., which have succeeded in having the work carried out in record time. The works, which in principle were due to last 18 months, were completed in 12 without any loss of quality. Lastly, reference should be made to the motivation of the team at the firm of architects which drew up the plans. Their drive and determination in the face of any problem have brought to a successful conclusion one of the largest projects in the history of Balam Consultores S.L. – Estudio de Arqui-tectura.

We can be sure that a single smile from the pupils of SEC Sebastián Burgos more than repays the great effort which has been made.

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A work within a year

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Foundation stoneIn the foreground, the Minister for Education, Mr. Alejandro Font de MoraIn the background (from left to right)Mr. Alejandro Bañares, General Financial DirectorMr. Emilio del Toro, local member on Valencia City CouncilMs. Inmaculada Valero Cortés, Head of SEC Sebastián Burgos

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Vicente Dualde Viñeta Architect Assistant architect Industrial engineer

Project director Project management Installations

Delfín Ferrer Julián Rafael Prats Sabater

Architect Draftsman

Foreman

Draftsman

Job manager

Works supervision Project design Project design

Eloy Cantero Ramon Rafael Lluch Noguera

Francisco Herrera Antonino

Marta Viñeta Milián

José Garnés Martínez

Team drafting and carrying out the Project

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Beginning of the worksThe site is next to a local railway line, with passengers observing the progress of the works from the laying of the first foundations.The main characteristic of the area was its flatness throughout practically the entire site. The clay ideal for building was not far from the surface in clearly differentiated layers.It was also decided to install three cranes as their combined range would cover the entire works.

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StructureThe works were perfectly managed with each wing of the centre being gradually constructed. In this way each group of operatives moved from wing to wing without the work teams getting on top of each other in the same area.The foundations based on braced footing and the flooring were very efficiently put in place by the construction company, gaining time and quickly arriving at what was in principle the most difficult stage; the making of the concrete vaults.

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The vaultsIt quickly became clear that what had seemed the most difficult stage was not so difficult. Thanks to a mobi-le centring, the construction of the vaults went ahead wi-thout great difficulty, with operations being carried out on a repeat basis and errors in the previous stage being corrected. In addition to the vaults, the arches of the façade were also built on which the lon-gitudinal frameworks were grouped to achieve a unitary structure.

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The sky façade The influence of the living colours of the Garden of Valencia inspired us in the composition of the roof of the building.This roof is arranged as the fifth façade of SEC Sebastián Burgos. The fact of its being the most ex-tensive façade and the most visi-ble from the outside made it the most important.We sought to produce a design which recovered in an abstract form all of the key colours of the Garden image. The tones of green, the oranges, the yellows and the blues are a true reflection of the dominance of vegetables, orange trees, the clay ground or even the characte-ristic colour of the Valencian sky.

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Image PAT of the Valencia’ Garden

InstallationsDue to the size of the centre and the characteristics of those using it, its energy needs are much greater than those of a normal school.For this reason, two key concepts were created which are develo-ped throughout the project: on the one hand, the distribution of all of the conduits for the ins-tallations by way of the flooring and, on the other, the centrality of the machinery in the upper area of the kitchen space.

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FinishesA range of materials very common on the market at the moment was cho-sen but these were re-combined with new ar-chitectural forms.

Firstly, face brick is pre-dominant throughout the building, for example on the façades and in the in-ternal communal spaces. Secondly the visible ce-ment which makes up the vaults of the classrooms.Thirdly coloured tiles predominate on the fif-th façade and in the side arms.U-glass, glass and steel are also common in the centre.

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... to the parents and children of Special Education Center Sebastián Burgos www.balamconsultores.es