Architect：bauzeit architekten

Location：Schulhausstrasse 15, CH-4564 Obergerlafingen, Switzerland

Project Year：2017

Category：Nurseries Primary Schools

The project won the competition for the extension of the existing school, organised by the municipality of Obergerlafingen. In order to reorganize the chaotic whole, it was proposed to demolish the annex of the 60's and the old canopy, replaced by a new building of only one floor and by a new canopy of organic shape that acts as a junction between the school and the existing sport hall. The organization of all the educational environments on a single floor has many advantages: increased interaction between students, flexible use of the floor plan, direct connection to outdoor spaces for each class, accessibility for the disabled, reduction of the need for fire protection.

Due to the intentions of sustainable construction, cost containment and speed of construction, the new extension is prefabricated from wooden elements onto a concrete slab. In accordance with the construction technology, the extension is configured as a modular addition that can ideally be continued indefinitely. The construction logic remains clearly legible: the load-bearing walls between the classes are made of wood, while the dividing walls between the classes and the corridor are, with the exception of the sanitary block, entirely glazed.

Generous natural lighting is a commonly recognised positive factor in pedagogical development. The large glass walls on the facade are complemented by skylights on the roof facing north. Outside and inside, the rhythm of the sheds shows the modularity of the building. The configuration of the building is designed to encourage connections between students. The glass walls allow you to glimpse from the corridor what happens in the classrooms.

The distribution spaces of the old and the new school are arranged in continuity; the entrance area, the corridor and the group room form a single fluid environment that lends itself to multiple uses; also functioning as a space for recreation during the winter.

The construction choices are oriented by sustainability intentions: the structure and internal finishes are entirely made of ecological materials and the heating is assured by a geothermal probe. The abundance of natural light allows to avoid electric lighting for a good part of the year. Despite the large openings in the facade, the judicious installation of mobile sun protection makes it possible to avoid overheating in summer. The entire materialisation inside and outside guarantees a pleasant and child-friendly atmosphere and a lowmaintenance operation.

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