Haldenstein School

jury winner

Primary School Building of the Year

Lukas Murer

• Arquitectos

Situation

The new schoolhouse and the cafeteria are visible from the village center and mark the limit of the core area. The new buildings are integrated within the local context, maintaining Haldenstein’s characteristic village structure with its squares and alleys. Regarding the local architecture they form a new, clear, natural situation. The distance the schoolhouse is set back from the street and the fact that it sits at a slight angle permit safe access to the school area as well as a protected schoolyard, enclosed on three sides. A lime tree in a gravel space was integrated into the floor plan concept, creating an atmospheric ambience.

School and Kindergarten

The entire school, including the kindergarten, is contained in one compact building. Two entrances separate the kindergartners from the primary school pupils. The double kindergarten is located on the ground floor with its own south-facing entrance and outdoor space facing away from the school's break area. The adjoining playground is reserved for the kindergarten during school hours, but is then open to the public outside of school hours. The topic of castles, which is a key part of Haldenstein’s identity, is referenced in various ways in the playground’s design, for example in the material used in the construction of the roofed outdoor area, i.e. stamped concrete. The latter is positioned in a way that forms an alley-like, relatively small-scale entrance area for the kindergartners.

The access to the school building is located on the north-west side, right at the entrance to the school grounds. The first to third floors accommodate the learning spaces for pupils. All classrooms are situated at the building corners to provide two-sided orientation. The resulting cross-like floor plan offers areas of varying appeal and views to the outdoors from all sides. Because the stairwell is isolated, the access areas can be used as extensions to the classrooms and group spaces. This results in great flexibility of use; both a traditional school concept with separate rooms and open, multi-classroom teaching models can be implemented.

An envelope of wood and glass wraps the schoolhouse’s load-bearing concrete structure. In its structure and sophistication, the up-to-date, sustainable wooden facade accentuates the public nature of the building, while the use of playful, cheerful colors echoes the tonality of surrounding buildings of the village.

All of the schoolhouse’s rooms are flooded with daylight, creating a friendly space for learning. The internal materiality follows the structure of the building and consists primarily of natural stone and wood floor and wall finishes. The load-bearing elements that include the interior walls, facade supports and ceilings are all made of exposed concrete. The fixtures, doors, windows and built-in wardrobe furniture are made of larch wood. Each of the classrooms is equipped with a wall unit containing plentiful storage and which houses the school wash troughs, pipe shafts, sanitary and heating manifolds as well as the ventilation ducts. A perimeter shelf along the classroom windows offers an additional and perfectly lit work surface.

The schoolyard is divided into spaces of varying appeal which are intended for various uses. In addition to a grassy area for free play, hard surfaces and gravel areas, a shaded group of trees with a fountain stimulates contemplative play. The village’s characteristic alleys, squares and fountains are mirrored in the design of the school ground’s outdoor space.

Cafeteria

The cafeteria, which represents a transitional space between school and leisure time, is located in a separate building directly adjacent to the schoolyard. The cafeteria building’s design follows that of local utility buildings and is easily surveyable due to its compactness. Its location permits easy transitions from inside to outside, between playing, eating and learning. Its direct connection to the gymnasium building further aids school day transitions and efficiency. The cafeteria building is constructed with double-wall masonry and covered by a wooden roof structure supported by a visible roof truss. The exposed concrete base and a colored external plaster give it a unique and independent appearance while also clearly linking it with the main school building.