In the German city of Hanover, abj Architekt:innen has designed a new neighbourhood hub that combines low-carbon architecture with inclusive social design. The hub brings together a primary school, family centre and sports hall to create a dynamic meeting place for the local community. “Mühlenberg is colourful, lively and multicultural,” explain the architects. “And this is precisely what is reflected in the new building.”

Neighbourly design

The building has a friendly exterior, its facade completed with light-coloured clinker brick and playfully coloured elements that help distinguish the different programs it holds. Orange and red mark the primary school and administration areas and bright yellow marks the family centre. Inside, these colours are complemented by blue, green and red—chosen to once more support orientation and identification of respective areas of use.

The complex is arranged across two levels with the primary school in the northern section of the plot, and the sports hall and family centre to the south. This organisation is the result of a spatial concept that carefully sequences public, semi-public and private areas. The design sits harmoniously amongst the residential buildings at its edges, its mass forming a three-sided neighbourhood square that opens on the street and which serves as an arrival area. In addition to this public-facing space is a private playground for the school children to the west.

Spatial organisation

The three different areas of the building are connected by a central access corridor. The primary school's learning space is divided into six independent "learning clusters," classrooms designed to offer space for concentrated work, group work, individual support and retreat, without compromising children's safety or teacher's overview. 

The family centre occupies the ground floor and contains two nursery groups and three kindergarten groups—including an integrative group—alongside a separately accessible parent meeting area. The sports halls and associated facilities are located in the southern part of the complex and can operate independently from the school.

Alongside this space is a two-storey forum that connects the auditorium, foyer and canteen, and which opens up to the forecourt and school playground. Here, flexible room structures allow for a wide variety of uses, from performances to parent meetings, lunch breaks and neighbourhood events. 

Sustainability credentials

The school was designed to the Passivhaus standard, reducing heating demand through a highly energy-efficient building envelope. Heating is supplied by geothermal probes, with underfloor heating distributing the heat. A rooftop PV system generates renewable electricity, while mechanical ventilation with heat recovery reduces ventilation-related heat loss. The City of Hanover states that renewable energy sources cover approximately 70% of the building's heating energy demand.