A timber school with a forward-thinking perspective, Erlev School in the Danish city of Haderslev marks a new generation of timber schools in Scandinavia with its particular emphasis on social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Accommodating 500 students, the City of Haderslev had from the outset of the project a clear ambition to push the boundaries of conventional school design. As such, Arkitema Architects were given the freedom to experiment with design, construction and materials in a new way.
The resulting design shapes the interior of the school with simple and open geometries that encourage curiosity and creativity. Within these geometries, atypical learning spaces and zones support activity-based education while facilities support and enhance ways of acquiring new competencies.
A wide range of different room types, ranging from large common rooms to traditional classrooms, to smaller educational spaces and tiny niches provide a “learning universe” of choices.
The building’s load-bearing structure is made of cross-laminated timber (CLT). In addition to its many environmental benefits, CLT improves the sensory experience of the school, through its construction to scent, feeling, sound and its warmth and visual interest as a material. Outside, the conventional school playground offers new sheltered green areas for leisure and teaching that encourage students and members of the community to make use of the facilities when school is out.
In August 2021, the school won the national award "Best School Building of the Year 2021".
