siezenheim elementary school

urban design concept
the site for the new primary school in siezenheim is characterized by its location on the grounds of the schwarzenberg barracks. the north side of the property borders directly on mühlsteinstraße, the west side adjoins a single-family housing area, while to the east and south lie military facilities, including warehouses, workshops, and training areas.
the competition brief describes the surroundings as unattractive, with potential emissions such as dust and noise expected.
based on this context, a single-story building with a large u-shaped entrance courtyard has been developed, enclosed on three sides by a 2.5-meter-high, green-planted wall made of recycled brick serving as both visual and noise protection.
the core idea is a low, flat building situated behind a sound-absorbing wall that prevents any direct visual or acoustic relationship with neighboring areas while maintaining open views toward the mountain panorama and the public realm along mühlsteinstraße.

site positioning
the u-shaped building is positioned so that its entrance courtyard opens generously toward the public space of mühlsteinstraße. starting from the new bus stop and the kiss & go zone, students enter through a small “school forest” that acts as a green buffer between the street and the courtyard.
at the center of the entrance courtyard lies a large, sunken area — the “school arena” — which provides access and daylight to the rehearsal spaces of the local brass band (trachtenmusikkapelle) located below ground.
the entire ground floor is elevated one meter above natural grade, reducing the depth of the sunken arena and allowing most of the excavated soil to be reused under the floor slab.

spatial concept
the two classroom clusters of the primary school form the two wings of the u-shaped building, while shared spaces such as the assembly hall, special education rooms, administration, and after-school care occupy the connecting central volume.
the heart of the building is a spacious assembly hall (aula) situated along the longitudinal side of the sunken gymnasium with spectator stands, dining area, library, and a temporarily separable music room.
this indoor campus provides space for all kinds of events and serves as a meeting place for all children. it invites sitting and observing, functioning as a space for relaxation, play, and learning, while ensuring good orientation within the building. the spatial design supports the school’s educational philosophy: openness, clarity, connectivity, generosity, light-filled friendliness, and smooth transitions between interior and exterior spaces.
reading corners, seating steps, quiet zones, learning niches, cozy corners, and window benches offer a wide variety of spatial experiences.
adjacent to the aula, the remaining functional areas — administration, special education, and after-school care — are arranged around two small internal courtyards. these sheltered outdoor areas provide space for play, learning, dining, and rest.

clusters
each cluster consists of five classrooms, two group rooms, and one open learning space, complemented by rooms for teaching materials, toilets, and cloakrooms.
the cloakrooms can also be accessed directly from outside, serving as effective dirt-lock zones. the classrooms are preceded by winter gardens that act as buffers against noise (from highway and airport) and cold, providing spatial extension during the warmer months.
the classrooms also receive daylight from two sides via clerestory windows (shed glazing).
the open learning zone is extended by a covered outdoor classroom for studying and playing outside.
a dedicated religion room is omitted, as such rooms often remain unused — religious instruction can take place in any available space.

brass band (trachtenmusikkapelle)
the sunken school arena provides direct access to the rooms of the local brass band.
in the warmer months, the main rehearsal room can be opened toward the arena, creating an ideal setting for celebrations and open-air events.
during colder months or for indoor concerts, the rehearsal room can be opened toward the gymnasium, allowing a direct spatial connection for performances.

movement and sports
students can reach the gymnasium level directly from the classroom clusters via two short staircases. generous clerestory glazing ensures glare-free north light in the gym.
external sports clubs can access the changing rooms directly from the school arena without entering other school areas.
two emergency staircases serve as escape routes during major events and provide quick access from the changing rooms to the outdoor sports fields.

outdoor spaces
for students’ health, it is important to move frequently between indoors and outdoors. outdoor lessons can take place directly adjacent to classrooms and learning landscapes.
a key aspect of the spatial concept is the extension of learning areas into the adjacent outdoor zones, such as terraces, seating steps, and outdoor classrooms. in warmer seasons, the aula, library, dining area, after-school care, and creative rooms can open onto covered outdoor spaces, allowing dining, relaxing, and working in open-air studios.
the rehearsal hall of the brass band opens directly onto the school arena.

structural concept
to allow for high flexibility in interior use, load-bearing walls are used only to the extent required for horizontal bracing.
the main structural elements are reinforced concrete columns and slabs in an efficient grid system. all clerestory roof elements are designed as prefabricated timber structures.

material concept
the selection of building materials places strong emphasis on ecological footprint, co₂ emissions from production, transport, and eventual deconstruction.
all classrooms feature wooden floors to enhance the quality of the floor as a seating or play surface. all other rooms receive coatings appropriate to their functional requirements.
ventilated façades are clad in timber siding, while the windows are made of wood-aluminum composite frames. transparent surfaces are equipped with effective external sunshades. projecting roofs and balconies serve as sun protection from high-angle sunlight and shield façades from weathering and dirt, facilitating cleaning and maintenance. trees planted in front of façades provide additional shading.

fire safety and escape route concept
the entire load-bearing structure is made of reinforced concrete.
the two-story building allows for direct escape routes from each floor to the surrounding ground level. from any point in the building, the exterior can be reached within a walking distance of less than 40 meters, with at least two possible escape directions. from the basement, escape is possible via the school arena or the two emergency staircases.

energy concept
the energy strategy is based on passive optimization, including the avoidance of suspended ceilings to maximize the use of available thermal mass (concrete ceilings and walls).
acoustic elements are designed to allow activation of the thermal mass.
at night, when outside temperatures permit, skylights can open automatically to enable cross-ventilation. this process removes warm air from the building and introduces cooler outdoor air, recharging the thermal mass and preconditioning the spaces for the next day.
geothermal probes or well water provide heating and cooling for the building and condition the air, with partial thermal mass activation integrated.
the sloped shed roofs accommodate photovoltaic panels.
roof overhangs and cantilevered building parts ensure glare-free daylighting, prevent summer overheating, and enable protected natural ventilation. continuous external shading systems aid in temperature regulation; in many areas, when shades are lowered, daylight can still be guided via the opposite façade.
green roofs with a thick humus layer absorb and delay heat input, contributing to additional thermal stability. during evaporation, a cooling effect occurs through the release of latent heat.

ventilation concept
classrooms and administrative spaces are equipped with controlled ventilation systems featuring heat recovery. fresh air is supplied to classrooms and flows via sound-insulated transfer elements into adjacent circulation and recreation areas, from where it is extracted. this airflow concept ensures adequate fresh air supply for all users, regardless of location, while minimizing airflow volumes to the necessary level.
for events in the gymnasium, the ventilation system can deliver the air volume required for full occupancy, as classrooms are typically unoccupied during such times.

traffic concept
the required parking spaces are positioned along the extensions of the two building wings to ensure that access to the entrance courtyard and school arena through the school forest remains undisturbed.
most of the 45 parking spaces are located in the northwest corner of the site, while the northeast spaces are used only during large evening events. on regular school days, this area serves as a badminton court and bicycle course.
along the western site boundary, a strip is reserved for a future bicycle and pedestrian path connection.