Utogrund school complex
Competition, 2023
With its entrance space and prominent tree, the existing school building forms a distinctive gateway to the Utogrund school and sport complex. These identifying features, as well as the urban qualities of the proposed elongated, low building should continue to characterise the site, as the building is to be retained and in future be used for music classes and school canteen. In the place where today the single sports hall is found, the new school building is to be built, containing all the classrooms as well as two sports halls. By being placed between the preparation facility on one side and the existing triple sports hall on the other, various synergies arise. The compact footprint of the new building, as well as decision to locate the sports halls underground allow a significant part of open space on the site to be retained. More
The retention and reuse of the existing school building makes an important contribution to the ecological, social, and economic sustainability of the project. This approach also has the advantage that the northwest part of the site could still be later built upon, and thus offers flexibility for its long-term development.Due to its size and structure, the existing school building is suited to those functions that aren’t directly connected to classroom teaching. With gentle interventions, it is possible to adapt the building to make spaces for music lessons on the ground floor, and in the upper floor for both canteens, a multi-purpose hall as well as the nursery for the kindergarten children. The roof spaces above these halls are opened up to reveal their timber structures, creating spaces up to 4 m high with an unmistakeable character. A spacious, covered forecourt is the main address and arrival point of the new building. From there, students can enter the entrance hall, flanked by the library on one side and offices on the other. In the middle of the building, a hall connects to two staircases. Short flights of stairs lead either half a storey up or down, as all the above-ground storeys are split over two levels. This means that each of the six clusters occupies half of a floor, which is its own separate level. From the stairs, the children enter a generous and flexible anteroom. Daylight reaches the interior through the neighbouring group rooms and the common area. The classrooms are all arranged along the long facades. The individual clusters are notable for their open, flexible character and provide different views of the surroundings. With a primary supporting structure made from recycled steel components, the new building also contributes to a reduction in CO2 emissions.This internal division of the floors into two levels is reflected in the facades, subdividing the outer envelope. Horizontal bands of reused profiled sheeting characterise the expression of both long facades. They each run up to the middle of the building, where the rhythm changes due to the split level. Delicate bris-soleil structures cantilever out over the ribbon windows, providing shade and giving the building a certain lightness. On both end facades, there are only window openings in the middle section. The sections flanking on either side are closed and are suitable for planting.
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