Italian
The Noah’s Ark, designed by C+S Architects, wins the DNA Paris Award and a Special Mention at the Architizer A+ Awards, confirming its status as an international model of educational architecture
ALZANO LOMBARDO (BG) – The Italian school looks to the future and takes the international stage. The new kindergarten Arca di Noè di Alzano Lombardo (Bergamo), designed by the firm C+S Architects, with offices in Treviso and London, has received two prestigious global awards: the DNA Paris Award 2025 in the Architecture/Educational & Sports category and a Special Mention at the Architizer A+ Award in New York.
Completed in early 2025 after five years of work, the school is located within the historic park of Villa Paglia and has been designed as a transparent and bright pavilion, capable of intertwining memory and innovation. With its 3,380 square meters of flexible and open spaces – including a central hall, internal courtyards, six sections overlooking greenery, a cafeteria, and a gym – the building represents a new model of inclusive school architecture, able to accommodate community activities beyond school hours.
The aesthetics combine tradition and modernity: the white glass mosaic cladding and the bronze fixtures interact with the sheds that evoke the industrial history of Alzano, while a red concrete wall pays homage to the landscape of Val Seriana, transforming into a play ramp for children.
“These awards demonstrate that schools are not just buildings for education, but true civic spaces capable of creating communities,” emphasizes Maria Alessandra Segantini, co-founder of C+S Architects. “The school in Alzano was conceived as a square, a place where children, teachers, and families can grow together and strengthen collective identity.”
A twenty-year journey of innovation
The studio founded by Carlo Cappai and Maria Alessandra Segantini is no stranger to accolades. For over twenty years, C+S Architects has been conducting ongoing research in the field of Nzeb school buildings (Nearly Zero Energy Building) and experimental layouts that promote social interaction, sustainability, and modularity. Their schools, recognized as best practices by the MIUR, were also showcased at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2016.
Ongoing projects: from Veneto to Friuli
In addition to Alzano, C+S Architects is creating several innovative schools in Northern Italy.
- In Venaria Reale (Turin), two new kindergartens are under construction, Don Sapino and Andersen, set in gardens and designed with wooden structures and recyclable assembly kits, dismountable at the end of their life for a completely sustainable building cycle.
- A Cervignano del Friuli (Udine), the construction of the new Istituto Tecnico Malignani is underway, funded by the MIUR, featuring a large bright internal square that will become the heart of school life and multifunctional spaces open to the community.
- A Conegliano (Treviso), the new Rodari primary school is about to be completed, an investment of 5.3 million euros, featuring a circular layout, open green spaces, and a recyclable steel structure, in line with Nzeb principles.
A shared vision
With these works, the Treviso-based studio strengthens its role as an international reference for sustainable and community school architecture. The schools designed by C+S are conceived not only as places of education but also as civic centers capable of generating identity and social interaction, where children, families, and teachers become part of a single community fabric.
The double international recognition of the Ark of Noah in Alzano Lombardo confirms how Italy, through visionary projects rooted in the territory, can become a cutting-edge laboratory for educational innovation on a global level.
