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Kvernhuset Ungdomsskole
Fredrikstad, Norway
Pir II Arkitektkontor
Treading lightly in the Norwegian forest:
a school committed to saving space and energy
© Geir Carlsen |
For more photos click on 'photos
& drawings' above.
To see the people and products
behind this project click on 'people & products.'
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Located in a forest area just north of
the city of Fredrikstad on the southeast coast of Norway,
this unique school is designed on principles of sustainability,
natural ventilation, and maximum flexibility.
To achieve a symbiosis between site and
building, the structures face each other from opposite sides
of two hills, leaving as much of the site as possible free
of impact. Emerging from a series of rectangular volumes,
a transparent glass box serves as the entrance. The ground
floors cut into the rock of the hillside, with this cut serving
as an interior wall. An arterial hallway runs along the rock
face, incorporating exhibition areas and ending in a cafeteria,
drama stage (a flexible, multi-use box), and outdoor café.
Small skylight domes pierce the café's concrete roof,
and timber posts from the forest site provide support.
Three "bars," or home bases
for the classes, occupy the upper level, employing the colors
yellow, blue, and green to denote energy, water, and life-cycles/ecology,
respectively. While these spaces face north, a multi-purpose
area for noisier and dirtier research activities takes up
the south facade. The upper level also houses a library, parallel
to the ground floor hall, and a host of other functional areas,
including a drawing studio, staff lounge, and the nature and
science department, complete with attached greenhouse. On
the opposite hill stands a simple gymnasium, with underground
sewage facilities, play areas, and gardens in the valley between.
The Kvernhuset Junior High School employs
a number of technical solutions to contribute to energy saving
and a better indoor climate. These include a natural thermal
ventilation system using underground ducts, a heat pump running
on thermal energy, as well as skylights and translucent facades
to conserve daylight. Indeed, these measures make a fantastic
learning tool for the school’s environmental curriculum.
Formal name
of Project:
Kvernhuset Ungdomsskole
Location:
Fredrikstad, Norway
Gross square
footage:
94,500 sq. ft.
Total construction
cost:
$29 million
Owner:
Fredrikstad kommune
Architect:
Pir II Arkitektkontor AS
Prof. Brochs gt. 6
7030 Trondheim
Tel : 73 98 40 80
Fax : 73 98 40 90
firmapost@pir2.no
www.pir2.no
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