tullnerbach branch office

urban design concept
the site for the new branch off ederal secondary school and federal secondary modern school purkersdorf at the tullnerbach location is defined by its privileged green setting, surrounded by forest and nature, which is reflected in the name “wienerwaldschule.”
consequently, the school places great emphasis on outdoor teaching and minimizing distances from all areas to immediate outdoor spaces and the surrounding forest. the challenge of the brief lies in the relatively steep slope and the existing height restrictions. the concept responds to these conditions with a terraced building that steps mainly southward along the slope over four floors, creating generous terraces on each level. a key feature of the building is that almost all areas have direct access to the outdoors. the positioning of the new school in the north of the site is guided by the good connection to the existing sports hall. the entrance level is positioned to provide an optimal, nearly level, and as short as possible connection to the existing sports hall. the new building consists of four floors; from the entrance level, the theory classrooms are located on the two upper floors, while the entrance and lower levels house general areas, day care, and creative rooms. recesses, courtyards, atriums, walkable glass floors, and skylights channel daylight into the deeper parts of the very compact building. the spatial concept aims to support the school’s spirit: openness, clarity, orientation, connectivity, generosity, daylight-filled friendliness, and seamless transitions between interior and exterior. the various spatial situations offer a diverse range of uses for different groups and individuals, with clearly organized and open areas.

entrance level
the entrance, auditorium, library, multipurpose hall, day care, administration, and the sports hall tribune form a generous, cohesive learning landscape. this indoor campus provides space for all kinds of events and serves as a meeting point for all students. it invites sitting and observing, acts as a relaxation, play, and learning space, and enables easy orientation within the building. the day care area has its own outdoor space with an outdoor arena. a large seating arena connects the auditorium with the creative level below.

creative level
all creative rooms are located on the lowest level with the largest outdoor area to allow optimal implementation of the indoor-outdoor teaching concept. this level also houses the sports and gymnastics areas, with short routes from the locker rooms to the outdoor sports facilities. an elongated tribune runs alongside the 60m running track and large synthetic playing field, creating the outdoor campus for events of all kinds.

theory
the theory classrooms located in the two floors above the auditorium extend directly to balconies or terraces, with learning and lounge areas arranged in front of them indoors. sliding elements allow generous opening of the classrooms to lounge and break areas.

open space
for student health, frequent transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces are important. outdoor teaching can take place in close proximity to classrooms and learning landscapes. an essential part of the spatial concept is the expansion of learning areas with directly adjacent outdoor spaces such as terraces, seating steps, outdoor classrooms, and balconies. in the warm season, the auditorium, library, multipurpose room, dining area, day care, and creative rooms can be opened to the covered outdoor areas, allowing dining, relaxing, and working in outdoor studios. the various spatial situations provide a diverse range of uses for different groups and individuals.

traffic concept
the required 25 parking spaces are located adjacent to the existing parking. an overhanging slab above the parking accommodates the large synthetic playing field, minimizing major earthworks. the entire school area remains car-free; only supply and service vehicles access the lower two levels. bicycle parking and one accessible parking space are located immediately at the entrance.

structural concept
to allow high flexibility inside the building, load-bearing walls are only used to the extent necessary for horizontal stabilization. the primary structural elements are reinforced concrete columns and slabs, mostly on a very efficient 7.75 x 7.75 m grid. above the sports hall, two steel suspension structures are used for every two classrooms.

material concept
material selection emphasizes ecological footprint, co₂ emissions from production, transport, and deconstruction. all classrooms are equipped with wooden floors to enhance the floor as a seating or play surface. other rooms receive coatings or synthetic flooring as required. ventilated façades are executed with wooden cladding, and windows as wood-aluminium constructions. transparent surfaces are equipped with effective external sun shading. cantilevered roofs or balconies provide sun protection from high-angle sunlight, protect façades from weather and dirt, and facilitate cleaning and maintenance. trees in front of the façades contribute additional shading.

fire safety and escape routes concept
the entire load-bearing structure is reinforced concrete. the terraced building allows escape routes on each floor directly to terraces or adjacent grounds. from any point in the building, outdoor space is reachable within 40 meters, with escape possible in at least two directions. from the terraces, connection to public areas is provided via two externally positioned side staircases.

energy concept
the energy strategy is based on passive optimization of the building, including avoidance of suspended ceilings to utilize available thermal mass (reinforced concrete slabs and walls). acoustic elements are executed to activate the thermal mass. at night, roof lights automatically open when outdoor temperatures allow, enabling cross ventilation. warm air is expelled, cooler outdoor air introduced, and the thermal mass is cooled to precondition rooms for the next day. balconies, roof overhangs, or cantilevered building parts ensure glare-free daylighting, prevent summer overheating, and allow rain-protected ventilation. green roofs with a thick humus layer absorb and delay heat input, contributing to additional thermal stabilization. during soil moisture evaporation, a cooling effect occurs due to released latent heat.

heating system
as there is no district heating or gas connection on site, a wood-chip heating plant is planned. combined with controlled classroom ventilation with adiabatic supply air cooling (also allowing night cooling) and compared to heat pump systems that could provide active cooling, this solution is both economically and operationally superior. the wood-chip plant, consisting of boiler and storage room, is located separately from the school building near the parking area and connected hydraulically via underground pipelines to buffer storage tanks, hot water supply, and pump stations serving various consumers.

space heating
heating is provided via static radiators, executed hygienically (without convector fins and easy to clean) in classrooms. all radiators are equipped with thermostatic valves. separate heating zones with individually adjustable and temporally variable supply temperatures are provided for areas with different usage periods.

hot water supply
hot water for the sports hall locker rooms is produced hygienically via a fresh water module and maintained at the required temperature through a circulation system. remote users are equipped with decentralized, electrically heated instantaneous water heaters to reduce continuous circulation losses.