Hückelhoven-Ratheim School Center
Project Description
Conversion, Extension, and Renovation in 3 Construction Phases
Based on a detailed analysis of the existing structures and considering the defined objectives, our expert report from 2000 recommended the structural and pedagogical upgrading of the buildings, as well as the adaptation of the outdoor facilities, at significantly lower costs compared to a new construction. The entire project is planned to be implemented in 3 construction phases over a period of 7 years. The first construction phase (primary school) was completed in September 2003.
The school complex will be redesigned, both externally and internally, into a distinctive, clearly articulated facility with a strong sense of identity. The group of buildings will feature a main access axis with a central hall and a forum area, designed as a two-story space resembling a streetscape, complete with a glass roof construction and greenery. From this “street space,” individual classroom groups, which we have termed as separate “houses,” can be accessed. Each of these groups (comprising year levels of the respective school types) has its own “house entrance,” thereby forming a small, distinct unit within the larger school complex.
The zoning ensures that the main school classroom groups are located in close proximity to each other, as are the secondary school classroom groups. In between, all special-purpose rooms are consolidated in the central area. The existing three-story structure will gain an additional usable level, accommodating all science facilities and the art department on the top floor. The central middle zone in the basement will be cleared of building services and will house high-quality classrooms for technology and crafts, accessible at ground level via the existing workshop yard. Above this is the music area, which also features a podium, enabling it to serve as an ancillary space for events within the central forum area. Opposite, on the ground floor, are the multi-purpose rooms, which can expand the available space in the forum area through flexible folding walls. On the first floor of this central location are the rooms for new technologies and the library/media center areas.
