The new building of the Geschwister-Scholl-School in Langen was officially handed over to the school community yesterday, Wednesday. District Administrator Oliver Quilling had invited to a small tour. The result is a three-story building with two classrooms and a group room on the first and second floors. On the ground floor is the entrance with porch and direct access to the restrooms. Primary school children have filled the new building with life since the beginning of the school year.
“The primary school in the historic center of Langen urgently needed to be expanded,” said district administrator Oliver Quilling. “Due to the cramped site, this was a planning challenge. With the demolition of the caretaker’s house, which was used only as storage for many years, and the relocation of the transformer house, space was created for a new building on the southern property line. At the same time, however, no more space should be lost in the schoolyard. Hence the idea of erecting the building on the stands”.
The ground floor was made of reinforced concrete to economically bridge large spans and generate a welcoming and covered extension of the schoolyard area. The two upper floors are built in modular wooden construction. The new building consistently exploits the potential of CO2 binding. Building and insulating materials made of wood and renewable raw materials are crucial for this.
Pleasant and welcoming atmosphere
Wood and cellulose were used as building materials for the upper floors, among other things to improve the quality of the space. In addition to the sanitary aspects, wood creates a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere through the feel and aesthetics of exposed wooden surfaces. Generous picture windows with visual contact between the corridor, group room and classroom complete this. A learning landscape with open spaces is created which allows for new pedagogical concepts.
“Due to its excellent ecological balance, wood not only brings advantages in the (primary) energy balance, but is also advantageous as a CO2 store and a renewable raw material,” explained the district administrator. “By using wood as the main building material and cellulose as a thermal insulator, a balance of 154 tons of CO2 absorption was achieved in this building.” in the stairwell. Radiators are installed in the sanitary areas on the ground floor. An air-to-water heat pump, together with a photovoltaic system on the roof, generates the necessary energy. Due to the current energy situation, the originally planned solar system has been expanded and additional storage blocks have been integrated into the system.
Abstract graphics by the Scholl brothers were shown in the stairwell to clarify the name of the school. The Offenbach district participated in the HolzBauPlus competition, organized by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, with the Geschwister-Scholl-School project in Langen. The total costs for the new building of 890 m2 of GFA, the demolition of the existing building and the construction of the external structures amount to almost 3.2 million euros.
(Text: PM District Offenbach)