extension and renovation of the götzis-markt elementary school

urban planning context
dominant and self-assured, the new parish church of götzis commands the town center of götzis-markt, flanked by the equally confident building of the 19th-century elementary school.
the necessity of expanding the elementary school should in no way disturb this clear mutual positioning, but rather continue and reinforce it.
the surrounding building structure is absolutely heterogeneous in scale, and yet an appropriate response must address both the neighboring single-family houses and the special forecourt situation with the adjoining bellevue and therapy terrace of the generation house.

urban planning approach
the extension first provides for the removal of the “unfortunate” 1960s addition, places a three-storey volume along marktstrasse, and inserts between the two teaching units a shared entrance structure with an adjoining school plaza in front.
this creates a kind of framing for the church apse and provides an urban counterbalance to the existing mass of the elementary school.
the desired sports field – centrally located – represents an important element for the village community. to counteract a thinning out of the center, the field is placed conveniently for both schoolchildren and the municipality, located on the roof of the single-storey connecting tract above the gymnasium.

architectural concept
the 19th-century school building is clearly structured and generously lit, with the special feature of corner lighting in all classrooms. however, this clear organization was blurred by the 1960s addition.
pedagogical intentions have now moved away from frontal teaching, requiring instead “spatial usage concepts that allow for greater flexibility in use” to support “active, constructive acquisition of knowledge through diverse means.”
by demolishing the 1960s wing, adjusting the circulation system, and adding outdoor classrooms, the existing elementary school is now capable of offering a spatial response to these new usage concepts.
organizationally, two learning areas can be accommodated in the existing first and second floors, and another two in the new building’s first and second floors. the core learning areas are autonomous units grouped around a central “marketplace” directly connected to an outdoor classroom, which can be used at any time with indoor shoes and in all weather conditions. this represents an important asset, especially in times of pandemic.
the ground floors of both the new and existing buildings are used for “special rooms,” such as the teachers’ area in the old building and the creative zone with desired additional outdoor spaces in the new one.
the existing entrance to the old building can continue to serve as access to the administration area, while the main entrance of the school becomes barrier-free and is set within a generous school forecourt between the two learning buildings. the assembly hall, adjoining the open gymnasium, forms a spatial sequence offering generous accommodation for joint school events. the location also allows its use by local associations and the municipality, as it can be easily separated from the pupils’ learning areas.
the attic space of the existing building is seen as a future option. it will be renovated according to technical requirements, equipped with good natural lighting, and reserved for yet undefined uses.

existing building
the character of the existing building is preserved and freed from the 1960s addition.
the roofscape facing the marketplace retains its existing silhouette and is supplemented with roof-level skylight bands. toward the southeast, the existing roof receives a similar treatment and includes a glazed, well-shaded joint to continue the circulation up to the attic.
on the northeast side, the building is complemented by a slender “shelf” element that provides both vertical circulation and the necessary directly adjoining outdoor classrooms for the core learning areas.
the existing “corner classrooms” are connected to the “marketplace” through transparent openings, forming unified spatial entities.
further modifications within the existing structure are limited to technically necessary measures (such as slab reinforcements, etc.) and the removal of a staircase with subsequent floor-slab extensions.

new building
the new building appears as an autonomous volume along marktstrasse. the ground floor offers good visibility into the school’s artistic activities. the upper floors, fully illuminated up to the parapet, feature classroom bay windows that provide spaces for retreat and observation for the pupils.
the shared assembly hall with adjoining gymnasium forms an open continuum, with separable music rooms positioned between the existing and new buildings. this space serves as a meeting point for all age groups before, during, and after school hours.
a “spine” of outdoor classrooms above the first floor connects the existing structure with the new building and invites cross-grade outdoor learning formats.

fire protection and escape concept
from a fire protection perspective, the competition project is classified as building class 4 according to oib guideline 2 (+10.55 m floor level).
deviating from section 7.2.3 of oib rl 2, a protected staircase is designed for the existing building in accordance with section 5.1.1 b of the same guideline. to further increase the safety level, the staircase is designed to the next higher safety standard as per table 2b, including a smoke extraction system.
in addition, a second independent escape route via the roofscape is planned for the first floor. to ensure early alarm and evacuation of building occupants, a fully automatic fire detection system providing complete coverage (full protection) is implemented for the school building.

construction / materiality
to ensure high flexibility of use within the building, the new structure employs load-bearing walls only to the extent necessary for horizontal bracing.
prestressed reinforced concrete beams are used above the gymnasium; they carry only the loads of the sports field above, as no rooms are placed on top of the gym.
in selecting construction materials, special attention is paid to ecological footprint, co₂ emissions from production, transport, and eventual dismantling.
all classrooms, open learning zones, and marketplaces are equipped with wooden floors to enhance their quality as seating and play surfaces.
the ventilated façades of the new building are clad with timber siding, and the windows are constructed as wood-aluminum systems. the transparent areas are fitted with effective external sun shading, while trees in front of the façade provide additional shading.

energy concept
the energy concept is based on passive optimization of the building, including the omission of suspended ceilings to make use of available thermal mass (reinforced concrete or solid timber ceilings and walls).
acoustic elements are designed to allow activation of these storage masses.
green roofs with a thick humus layer absorb and delay heat input, contributing to additional thermal stabilization. the evaporation of soil moisture generates a cooling effect through the release of latent heat.
heat supply can be provided via the existing district heating connection. alternatively, deep boreholes or groundwater can be used for building cooling and air conditioning; where necessary, partial areas may be equipped with thermal mass activation.
the inclined shed roofs offer surfaces available for photovoltaic panels.

ventilation concept
the classrooms and administrative rooms are equipped with a controlled ventilation system featuring heat recovery, with supply air introduced into the classrooms and overflow through sound-insulated transfer elements into adjoining open learning zones and communal areas, from which exhaust air is extracted. this air routing ensures adequate fresh air supply for users throughout the spatial continuum, while minimizing airflow rates to the necessary minimum.
for events in the gymnasium, the system can supply the air volume required for full occupancy.
at night, when outdoor temperatures permit, the clerestory windows can be opened to enable cross-ventilation. this process exhausts warm air from the building and draws in cooler outside air. through this nightly cooling, the thermal mass is reconditioned, preparing the rooms for the next day.