The Brotas Normal School, in the state of São Paulo, was designed between 1966 and 1967 by Sérgio Ferro, Flávio Império, and Rodrigo Lefèvre. It was commissioned by the state government under the coordination of Mayumi Souza Lima. At the time, the shortage of school places was enormous, demanding affordable, well-designed solutions that could be built by local contractors.

Construction took place between 1968 and 1970, during the years in which Brazil’s military dictatorship became increasingly repressive. Here we see the construction of the foundations, with drilled piers, grade beams, and footing blocks supporting the structure above.

Concrete columns are then cast on top of these footing blocks. They create a free-standing structural frame, independent of the walls, allowing the building’s spaces and functions to be adapted over time. Beams rest on the columns, forming a series of structural portals. Apart from the foundations, this is the only reinforced concrete structure in the building. Everything else, as we shall see, is built with brick and hollow ceramic blocks.

In a workshop beside the construction site, another stage begins: what we call the light prefabrication of structural elements. Here, curved ceramic-block ribs reinforced with steel are assembled to form the shell of the vaulted roofs. Steel reinforcing bars are fixed into the grooves of the blocks with mortar. Once the mortar has hardened, the ribs can be transported.

A temporary support system is prepared to receive the ribs. They are lifted into place using ropes and pulleys. Workers standing on scaffolding receive each piece and assemble them to form the roof shell between each structural frame. Only a small amount of transverse reinforcement is then added before a thin mortar topping stiffens the shell. At the junction between vaults, crushed stone slag is used as infill, followed by another layer of mortar that forms the rainwater gutter. Finally, the roof receives a coat of waterproofing compound and a layer of white latex paint to reflect solar heat.

The vaults generate horizontal thrust on the structural frames, so the temporary shoring must remain in place until the end vaults transfer the inclined load safely into the ground.

The masonry is built with brick, an inexpensive and widely available material in the interior of São Paulo State. The brick sun-breakers (brise-soleils) also support reinforced mortar panels that protect classroom windows from direct sunlight. At the junction between the masonry walls and the vaults, ventilation pipes were installed to enable cross ventilation. Classroom floors are raised wooden platforms designed for multiple uses. They were installed over wooden sleepers, keeping them clear of ground moisture.

The chalkboard and chalk tray—the teacher’s essential working tools—are installed. The underside of the vault receives a rough plaster finish and paint. The walls are whitewashed, allowing the texture of the brickwork to remain visible. The window frames are made of wood and include adjustable ventilation shutters. Glass panes are fitted between the rafters, while some openings at the top remain unglazed to provide permanent natural ventilation. This system had previously been tested in the architects’ experimental vaulted-house projects.

Electrical and plumbing services are deliberately left exposed throughout the building. Some vaults incorporate translucent strips that admit zenithal daylight. Everywhere, the school reveals how the building works. Finally, teachers and children arrive to inhabit and create within this space.

The building soon became known as Brotas’ “Wave School.” It continues to evolve. The former caretaker’s house now serves as the library. This is the covered central courtyard, which today includes the cafeteria. And here we arrive at the school’s theater, also sheltered beneath a vaulted roof.

In the year the school was inaugurated, two of its architects and the director of the State Department of Education were arrested and tortured by the military regime. Yet the project’s generous architectural and educational utopia endured. And, in the words of Sérgio Ferro, it can still say: “I am still here.”

This animation was produced as part of the exhibition Sérgio Ferro: Free Labor, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo (MAC-USP) between March and June 2025.