Schule am See | 2014-2018

Location: Hard, Austria
Architects: Baumschlager Hutter Partners, Dornbirn, Austria
Landscape Architects: terra.nova Landschaftsarchitektur

The exceptional location of the school, in other words its proximity to the lake and its unspoilt view of the lake shore, lead to a building structure that opens up towards the water and embraces the space between lake and sports hall.

The primary and middle schools are organised as “cluster schools”, which allows a high degree of flexibility in the layout of the structural elements. The floors provide platforms for different working arrangements, all of which are very closely linked with the exterior space. The courtyards and entrance areas can connect to their surroundings in a variety of ways, internal access is more like a village than a street, the cluster provides scope for individually organised collaboration and the classes themselves can be a place of calm.

The high degree of transparency between the exterior and interior, as well as the internal transparency within the cluster, is a striking feature of the building. The visual relationship with the landscape and the lake ensures a pleasant learning atmosphere with plenty of natural light inside the building. The cluster forms a large space that merely uses glass separating walls and furniture to divide the classes into areas.

Pedagogy The goal of the pedagogical concept is to strengthen the individual abilities and self-reliance of all children in the age range 6 to 14. Learning takes place in multistage classes with team teaching, which alternates with individual and cooperative forms of learning with a wide variety of attractive learning and development materials. The overarching principle is an attitude of respect towards children, parents and colleagues. A genuine commitment to inclusion is a matter of course and enriches everyday school life.

Building services A sense of ownership and responsibility for building use is at the heart of the system of building services. The building is equipped with controlled basic ventilation, with the additional options of ventilation flaps and doors that can be opened at any time. The building has been designed without a technical cooling system. Solar screening is provided by angled sun shades, which prevent the interior from overheating.

Ventilation flaps in the facade are automatically opened on summer nights, creating cross ventilation, which helps to cool down the building. Heating is supplied by the district heating network belonging to the municipality of Hard. Electricity is produced by a photovoltaic installation mounted on the roof. Materiality Materials and surfaces have been reduced to a minimum as the backdrop to the colourful daily life at the school.

The wall and ceiling surfaces are finished in white and add to the brightness of the building interior. “Baubuche” (beech panels) has been used for the flooring and facade sections. Dividing walls in glass convey transparency and openness. The children bring colour to the school building.