Designed by Skop, The school is located in a residential neighborhood in the Swiss village of Port. With its characteristic folded roof structure, the school references the pitched roofs of the surrounding houses, the rural history of the region and the smooth hills of the Jura Mountains. Placed on a gentle slope, the building takes advantage of the topography and links various outdoor spaces according to the different access routes of the school children. While the ground floor is used for faculty administration, workshops, a school kitchen, and back of the house rooms, the first floor comprises of nine classrooms and three kindergarten units. The upper rooms naturally benefit from the spatial qualities of the folded roof. Each classroom appears to be an independent little house, creating a cozy and home-like atmosphere for the children. Photography: Simon von Gunten
Adjacent classrooms are linked with each other through large doors as well as having direct access to group working spaces and a generous multifunctional middle zone. This layout allows maximal flexibility for current and future teaching and learning methodologies. Large parts of the interior walls are developed as floor to ceiling magnetic blackboards, inviting the pupils to express themselves. A series of skylights provide daylight to the internal areas while the rooms along the facades receive natural light from two directions due to their angular position.
Photography: Julien Lanoo
The school?s principal ...