Schools are getting better at utilising existing structures

An increasing number of clients aim to preserve as much of the old school as possible, instead of automatically building something new. This is the assessment of an award-winning architect in school construction, who also points out that the new approach places demands on architects, in particular.   

She is an architect and partner at the architectural firm AART, and Kathrine Hegner Stærmose and the rest of the team entered the competition for School Building of the Year 2022 for Vrå Børne- og Kulturhus in Hjørring Municipality in Denmark. A unique project that will function as a school, cultural and civic centre as well as a library – and do so with sky-high sustainability ambitions.

But even though Kathrine Hegner Stærmose has experienced all the possibilities that come from conceiving of a project from scratch, she is increasingly experiencing a different movement in school construction:

" The major trend right now " and not just to school construction, but in construction in general " is the reutilisation of existing buildings. We see a lot of school renovations and school master plans that aim to utilise what we already have. In other words, how do we renovate and modernise the existing building stock to meet the new requirements for learning environments," she says.

 

She adds that an approach could also involve extensions to schools that add new dimensions to the learning environment.

 

Why has this desire become more widespread among clients?

" I think it’s actually a combination of a desire to be environmentally more conscious and energy-efficient, as well as an economic awareness. That you may be more cautious with your money and want to make sure you spend it wisely. So you don't just tear down an entire school because it simply had the wrong size of classroom or lacked a common area and group rooms. We at AART think this is much more careful and sensible," says Kathrine Hegner Stærmose.

 

What demands and challenges do these new expectations present to you as architects?

" It’s a completely different task. If you're building a brand new school, a room programme is typically drawn up with wants and needs, and then we have to draw it from scratch and come up with the right concept. With the second type of project, it's about clarifying what the existing building can do. We literally have to go out and open doors to find out what’s in every room. Because the way in which the school uses all its rooms is rarely mapped and optimised. So you should take a much more curious approach to it," she says.

She adds that school transformations typically require more user dialogue.

" A project like this can take place in stages, so the change is more hidden," she says.

 

 What are the advantages of such projects?

" There are a lot of qualities " including architectural " which are very interesting to use as a base. There are many great schools all over the country with different characteristics and high-quality materials. We have many beautiful brick schools that are very robust, but where times are different regarding the requirements for daylight and the indoor climate, for example," she says.

 

Can you give some examples of how you are able to work with existing structures?

" I have great colleagues who are working on some incredibly exciting projects involving the design of existing classrooms. This could involve places where students can sit in windowsills, on lockers, lying down or sitting at a high table. But it can also be about alternating between sheltered and more open seating" she says, adding that it's also about looking at what the possibilities are in the corridors and outdoor areas.

 

LCA has become a basic requirement

Kathrine Hegner Stærmose also points out that life cycle analyses (LCA) have become an integral part of school construction.

" We need to keep an eye on our carbon emissions in both the construction and operational phases, so in all the decisions we make, there is an extra balance sheet that must be kept in mind," she says.

And life cycle considerations also often favour the aforementioned focus on preserving existing structures.

" In another great project, which admittedly isn't a school building, we went through every single thing in the existing building and tried to be creative about how we can use the materials. For example, the ceiling panels, some of which can become acoustic panels that hang from the ceiling. Or the light fittings, where some of the original manufacturers take them back and clean and fix them so they can be reused," she says.

Kathrine Hegner Stærmose sees another trend related to the demand for life cycle analyses:

" All tender documents state “natural, robust materials and surfaces”. The idea of robustness has been around for a long time, but what's new is the desire for natural materials," she says, explaining that naturalness can be about biogenic materials, but also about plants and greenery indoors and out.

 

Away from “themed schools” in favour of indoor climate and well-being

Kathrine Hegner Stærmose generally sees a (welcome) move away from the “themed school buildings” of the past in favour of a focus on well-being, indoor climate and learning.

" There is a lot of focus on how we can have a positive impact on students and teachers " instead of it being about building a star-shaped or round school with a large communal space," she says.

She mentions the Troldtekt ventilation ceilings in Vrå Børne- og Kulturhus as an example of an initiative that significantly improves the indoor climate – and which can also be used in other transformational projects in existing buildings.

" The solution provides an incredibly good and pleasant exchange of air and we know that they really like it," she says.