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.'

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