Heimdal Secondary School is a combined secondary school with room for 1,020 students. In addition to traditional classrooms, this educational complex features specialized spaces like rehearsal rooms for music, dance, and drama, a cafeteria, a library, and a cultural hall that can accommodate up to 350 spectators. Connected to the school is a spacious multi-purpose hall, boasting three handball courts that meet international standards. The entire project is the successful outcome of winning first place in an architectural competition and encompasses a grand total of 25,000 square meters.
The design philosophy behind Heimdal is elegant in its simplicity: a substantial base harmoniously integrated into the natural landscape, crowned by a lightweight atrium structure that defines an expansive communal area connecting the building vertically.
The development team's approach emphasizes strong urban planning, particularly because Heimdal VGS plays a crucial role in the district program "Områdeløft Saupstad." The project prioritizes reinforcing the east-west green corridor across the area, maintaining the "Cultural axis" running north-south. Simultaneously, this layout gives rise to a town square, which serves as a bustling Saupstad meeting point and community hub, with seamless connections to existing sports fields, the clubhouse, school facilities, and the cultural and sports hall.
A remarkable collaboration with the research center ZEB (Zero Emission Buildings), involving NTNU and Sintef, has yielded innovative energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. Notably, this initiative has led to a remarkable 66% reduction in energy consumption compared to prevailing standards. Additionally, surplus heat generated by the school's own energy production is channeled to the adjacent swimming pool, contributing to energy efficiency.
The large multi-purpose hall, adjacent to the school, offers versatile utility beyond regular school hours, benefiting the entire district. Strategically located below ground level, it minimizes its impact on the public space. Kolstad Handball calls this hall their home court, offering seating for 2,000 spectators and standing space for 500, while it can host up to 4,000 concert-goers. This arena also encompasses smaller halls designed for various activities, such as ski jumping and dance training.
