Spatial intervention for public experience
A space for innovation, excellence and community
"What's someone like me doing in a place like this?"
I read in the newspaper about a vocational school that helped people find new career paths. I'd walked down that street countless times and never noticed the place. Just a boring brick building surrounded by a high fence.
That Thursday, I decided to go check it out.
After all, I'd been unemployed for six months and didn't know what to do; I reflected on the way.
Once I was in front of the Cotes Baixes high school, for a moment I regretted coming. What was a fifty-year-old construction worker doing in a school full of teenagers? From the entrance, going up a steep ramp, I could see a gleaming glass pavilion. As I climbed the stairs, I saw a welcome desk in a quiet hall with sofas. I felt uneasy, but it was too late to turn back: I went inside.
Not knowing where to go or what to do, I stared at the large screens displaying data about students and various studies—it looked like an aeroplane's control panel!
Seeing my apparent confusion, the caretaker invited me to explore the centre's public spaces, where an exhibition showcased the different specialisations. Wandering through the student lounge, cafeteria, courtyard, and hall, I was impressed by the results of the student challenges and projects. The space was comfortable, flexible, and open, with some technological touches. It was nothing like the high schools of my generation.
On my way home, I thought, "Yes, I'm older than everyone else. And it's going to be difficult. However, Cotes Baixes seems like a place where I can learn and find a community."
Images: ©Carlos Segura
