The new building for the school in Wigoltingen combines the local tradition with the latest scientific knowledge that enables sustainable construction with regenerative building materials. In its courtyard typology, the single storey school offers a variety of spatial interpretations at any time of the year.
The heart of the facility is the courtyard, which is designed as a protected yet natural outdoor space for the toddlers. Creative play is encouraged through the instinctive experience of nature. The changing topography and the diversity of the natural environment serve as creative opportunities for movement. Several small hills together form a topographical playground structure with slides, tunnels and niches.
The internal spatial program is divided into differently dimensioned volumes. The "solids" form a tectonic landscape between which a flowing space is created that opens out from the inside and moves fluidly towards the garden, as if this were its natural extension. These intermediate spaces connect the inner courtyard with the surrounding outdoor spaces spatially and visually, and at the same time are transition and buffer zones that allow the indoor climate to be regulated with passive strategies. The precise placement of the solids in the terrain defines the resulting intermediate space: corridors, niches and openings form spontaneously and grow into the open space of the garden. The building, including the floor slab, is constructed in timber. The supporting structure in frame construction allows for complete prefabrication in the factory (including windows), which is convenient for the use of straw insulation.
Skylights, movable sunshade elements and mobile folding walls allow easy adaptation to a wide range of climate scenarios without complex technical installations.
