Schools

When the school is in the range of 20,000 to 30,000 square meters, it is a relatively ideal state. It has a space blur generated by the scale but is not threatened by traffic efficiency. Our consistent strategy is to create spatial transparency through relationship redundancy to meet the diverse lives of students.

The Baghdad International School embodies a modern reinterpretation of Baghdad’s architectural legacy. Here, the concept of the “wall” evolves from a historical symbol of power and fortification to a multifunctional structure that conveys both security and openness. The wall transforms into a porous and interactive membrane, accentuated by blue metal plug-in structures that house vibrant arts, sciences, and public engagement programs. The building’s pixelated facades allow it to merge with the urban fabric of Zayouna, simultaneously standing out with its unique design language. At its core, the school embraces a central courtyard, a dynamic crossroads where students from various disciplines gather, reflecting the communal essence of Islamic courtyards. This integration of communal spaces extends to the rooftops, made accessible and functional, resonating with the traditions of Islamic architecture where rooftops and staircases were integral to both the building’s utility and its social fabric. These design elements collectively create an environment that is not only secure and educational but also deeply rooted in the cultural and historical context of Baghdad.

The new school “Europa” in Almería is an extension of a very prestigious school. The idea is to free up space in the original building which was a P.U.A. (Plan de Urgencias de Andalucía for very popular educational centers in the 70s, characterized by its rhomboidal floor plan) and thus separate primary education in the original building and infant education in this new extension.

Design Context. In recent years, the rapid development of Weiyang District has led to the intensification of the contradiction between the surge in education demand and land scarcity. The comprehensive building construction project of Weiyang Road Primary School is a design task born in this context. The project site is extremely narrow and irregular, with existing teaching buildings and surrounding high-rise residential buildings, making the conditions very complex.

Geometric landscapes. According to Irigaray, “Desire is not simply a sexual or materialistic impulse, but a deep and complex motivation that is rooted in relationships with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us.” This is precisely what the intervention at San Antonio school is about. The work as a whole gives responsibility to the user so that, in their gathering, in their activity, in their play, in their desire, there is space for the desire of others. The effect is a paradoxical strategy in which individual and abstract space becomes valuable when shared, in which the cave is only suggestive because someone is climbing the mountain.

The two communities Rickenbach and Herrischried in the Black Forest region with a total of 6,600 residents, have joined forces to reorganise their school landscape. After winning the two design competitions in 2016, Spiecker Sautter Lauer Architects from Freiburg were commissioned to extend the existing school building in Rickenbach into a full-time primary school for both communities and to extend the existing school building in Herrischried into a secondary school for grades 5 to 10. The general increase in construction costs and problems with the supply of specific building products led to a longer planning and construction period. The building in Herrischried was completed in 2022.

In a striking freestanding building that combines two schools for vocational education, POLO solves a challenging three-dimensional jigsaw dictated by stringent technical requirements and the constraints of a small plot.