A disk of exposed concrete rises in the Valle del Manatí, at the foot of the karst cliffs of Ciales. Designed by Toro Arquitectos, together with contractor Iván Fernandez of JAFER Construction Corp, the Early Head Start is the only Puerto Rican work selected by Dezeen for its list of the best buildings of 2025.
The prestigious publication included the preschool in its Annual Review 2025, a compendium of the year's highlights in institutional, residential, hotel and skyscraper architecture. Ellen Eberhardt, a reporter on the Dezeen USA editorial team, described the project as "unusual in the best sense," highlighting how the scale of the concrete connects to its educational purpose.
"The landscape of Ciales was our first source of inspiration. The project sits above the Manatí river valley, at the foot of the tall cliffs of the karst zone, with striking views," Gastón Saboulard told Platea, the project's designer. The site, north of town on highway PR-149, offers dense vegetation and uneven terrain that directly shaped the design decisions.
The Early Head Start serves 48 children in six classrooms, each with an adapted bathroom, along with a central playground, a multipurpose space, a kitchen, a laundry room and support areas.
The structure is defined by its circular geometry, divided into twelve equal sections surrounding the central courtyard, a design that allows constant visual contact from any point in the building.
For Saboulard, the building's purpose goes beyond its aesthetic value: "This new facility will not only benefit children with a safe, appropriate space to learn and play, but will also create jobs for teachers, directors and support staff."
"A metaphor for the cycle of life"
The building that now stands above Ciales was formerly a funeral home, and that was the main challenge when the project began, Saboulard says. "The main challenge was integrating the new preschool into the landscape and, above all, into the existing structure, which had previously functioned as a funeral home. Changing that image in the collective memory of Ciales residents was a significant challenge, so we understood that the new school needed to have a strong, clearly distinct presence," the architect pointed out.
"Throughout the entire process, there was an irony in the fact that a space once associated with farewell was now being transformed into a center for child development. By choosing a circular form for the school and differentiating it from the existing building, without directly seeking it, that form ended up working as a metaphor for the cycle of life," Saboulard reflected.
From Puerto Rico to the world
The Dezeen recognition joins other honors, including the AIA Merit Award of Excellence – Florida (New Work) 2025, awarded by the Florida/Caribbean chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which recognizes excellence in architectural design, and the AIA Honor Award of Excellence for Built Work, one of the most prestigious awards at the national level, which sets new standards of excellence in architecture and design.
"The news surprised us and filled us with pride to see our work alongside such a select group of globally recognized firms. For us, even more meaningful is seeing Puerto Rico represented in a global review of contemporary architecture, showing that innovative, high-quality projects are developed here too," said Saboulard, who worked alongside José Javier Toro, the project's architect.
What fascinated Eberhardt was the almost surrealist contrast between the central green area with its play structures and the concrete surrounding them. For her, it represents "a prime example of how architecture can guide humans, even small ones."
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This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
