Waf 2016 schools shortlist

The new building in northern Madrid replaces its predecessor building in the city centre. With its special educational program and evening theatre performances and concerts, the German School Madrid is an important site for cultural exchange. In this large complex, the school’s diverse areas of use are legible as clearly defined units. The individual buildings – the kindergarten, the primary school and the secondary school – each frame an inner courtyard. All patios open up to the surrounding landscape and a vista of the snow-covered mountains. Reflecting both the requirements of the architectural brief and the topography of the site, the buildings develop differentiated spatial situations, yet all components unite into an organic ens... More

On May 5th, 2014, a strong earthquake of 6.3 Richter struck Chiang Rai Province in the North of Thailand, destroying 73 schools affecting over two thousand students. Through the initiation of a non-profit network named Design for Disasters (D4D), a post -disaster recovery program was launched to design and build 9 new earthquake resistant school buildings in the most affected areas. Nine emerging Thai architects were assigned to design new school buildings, one for each school.The Engineering Institute of Thailand and The Consulting Engineers Association of Thailand provided the engineering support. Thai Contractors Association linked the team to construction companies while the Association of Siamese Architects assisted in providing techn... More

A school that grows with the childrenThis project consists of a new child and teenager campus, comprising a kindergarten, a primary school and a secondary school. The building location for this new project lies in Antwerpen-North, along the Hardenvoort street, on the edge of the Park Spoor Noord.The building has two faces: a city side with higher building volumes and the tower, and a ‘softer’ park side with several levels, making the building a transition zone between the park and the Hardenvoort street side, and linking it to the education facility building. The plan is to create a central lobby to connect the street and the park sides and provide double access to the complex. There is a student entrance on the park side and an entran... More

LEARNING FROM THE LAND Tarawera High School is situated between River Road and the Tarawera River in the small mill town of Kawerau. The design reflects Kawerau’s unique culture, history and landscape. The masterplan proposes a solution that inspires learning & promotes the fulfilment of potential in Kawerau’s rangatahi (younger generation / youth). Through a collaborative process that involved extensive school and community engagement, the masterplan proposes a school that puts community and cultural facilities at its heart. Typically with 90 pupils per classrooms in open plan learning spaces, an advanced innovative learning environment includes a variety of well-connected spaces through the use of new building materials and tec... More