Senac São Miguel Paulista Unit

> Senac São Miguel Paulista Unit: With more than 70 years’ activity in professional education and offering a significant number of free courses, Senac - Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Comercial [National Commercial Apprenticeship Service] is a Brazilian institution that really does help achieve social inclusion in the labor market and stimulates entrepreneurship in the country. When Senac, with its strategic vision on the impact and transformational potential of the new venture in the region, commissioned the architectural project for its 5th unit in the east of the city and the 60th in the State of São Paulo, it established five basic guidelines for us: to devise a solution for the biggest unit they have ever opened that would consider the infrastructure necessary for an intense flow of people and serving 25,000 students a year, 80% of whom receive free places; to select materials, components and construction systems in an extremely strict technical manner in order to achieve excellent indices in terms of performance, durability and maintenance; to anticipate the infrastructure needed for guaranteeing the constructed areas could be used in a flexible manner and that any future expansion would be easy; to establish synergy with Senac’s contemporary teaching proposal that values diversity, creativity and multi-disciplinarity; to create a reference point in the urban landscape in order to fortify bonds with the community and stimulate the local development. Located in the east of São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, in extremely densely-populated region that suffers from large gaps in its cultural and educational equipment despite having more than 378,000 inhabitants, the architectural project increases the quality of local education and professional qualification, improves social interaction and provides more local leisure and culture options. With 26,000sqm built on a plot of land of approximately 8,000sqm, the complex has 27 laboratories for informatics, fashion, design, gastronomy and for other technical courses; 20 classrooms and other rooms for conducting research into new technology; an auditorium for 200 people; a library that is open to all; and areas for social interaction and outdoor leisure activities. The largest unit ever constructed by the client, the school was opened in March 2018 having received an investment of approximately US$ 30 million. The inside and outside areas were designed to ensure flexible use and allow for changes in the construction, in order to accommodate both new market demands and contemporary worldwide trends. It can also adapt to any updating that is needed because of the constant changes there are in course programs and student profiles. There are lounges for teaching activities and laboratories that are for both practical and theoretical learning experiences in interactive mobile technologies, while the reading and interaction areas in the garden are integrated with the traditional classrooms. The architecture heightens meta-sensory stimulation, so the learning process also occurs by way of shapes and colors, the furniture and the perceptions that are transmitted through the visual communication and lighting technology that is used. Wide sidewalks and squares are connected via internal tree-lined avenues that integrate the public and private areas. Whether through its architecture or because of its school program, the complex establishes dialogue with the community, arouses curiosity with regard to using the library - perhaps for the first time in their life for many of the local residents - and invites people to take advantage of this educational equipment that we designed to boost the local economic development. > The quality of the design needed to achieve the ambition of going beyond the client’s briefing and expectations: The design of São Miguel Paulista Unit has concepts that are essential to any approach to contemporary world problems. It is a meta-project that highlights: adaptability, flexibility, social inclusion, the educational system, public-private relationships and universal design. The architectural utility used a volumetric composition approach and divided the complex into three integrated blocks and areas with a functional design that are in accordance with the educational, cultural and leisure activities they house. Right from the start, when the location that was chosen for the educational complex was strategically located on the liveliest avenue in the neighborhood offering frequent public transport and intense commercial activity, up until the time when each of the architectural solutions was defined and conceived, the purpose was to strengthen bonds with the community, awaken a feeling of belonging and boost local economic development. The structure of the three integrated blocks was designed to guarantee connectivity and visual permeability. Covered in glass that offers acoustic protection for reducing noise and using a brise-soleil solution in strategic places, the complex allows the students to enjoy the landscape and the green of the gardens and take maximum advantage of the daylight. It also allows the people who are passing by the street to see the activities inside the building, which is a way of showing off the vocational courses offered by Senac in a very real way. In harmony with the architectural solution, the program of monthly activities on offer to the public values the origin of a large part of the local residents and preserves the local historical memory, which is strongly characterized by the culture of the northeast of Brazil. Recognized as a local landmark and a synonym for the transformational epicenter of the neighborhood on which it has had a strong social impact, the project arouses interest and curiosity and a feeling of a bond of affection. It also establishes a connection with those who live in the region and brings public and private spheres closer together by inviting students, teachers, college employees and members of the community to share spaces, such as the central plaza and the library, and to take part in the extensive cultural program that is offered on an ongoing basis.