Afonso de Albuquerque Secondary School in Guarda belongs to a group of schools for grammar school and/or technical education built by the Ministry of Public Works through the Technical and Secondary Education Construction Board (JCETS-MOP); this group currently accounts for 21% of the school network in Portugal. The school complex, originally known as the Guarda National Grammar School, was opened in 1969.
The intervention was characterised by the construction new buildings that interconnect the existing ones and house the administration office and spaces that directly involve the surrounding community: the library, auditorium and pavilion. The buildings are interlinked by a succession of patios, one of them freely accessible and functioning as a recreation space that complements the purposes of the buildings surrounding it – the pupils’ snack bar, the school shop and the multipurpose hall. The school’s central space is occupied by the multipurpose hall. The sports hall is located at the back of the school and is linked to the gym through the shower/changing rooms.
The remodelling of the school grounds led to the introduction of walkways and relaxation areas.