DGJ Paysages sàrl

For the construction of new all-day primary schools in Thuringia, a new construction system was developed in a competition under the lead of our Frankfurt sister company DGJ Architektur, which sensibly develops existing and well-established technologies into a flexible construction kit. The building system is directional and its basic dimensions result from the optimal delivery dimensions of the materials for timber construction and sensible transport sizes. The widths as well as the basic typology of the buildings can be flexibly adapted with the construction system to the location, teaching concept and specific requirements of the respective school.
Due to the increase in all-day teaching, the school is becoming an important living space for the children and teachers. Designing this place in such a way that it offers the children numerous opportunities for use, appropriation, identification and social interaction is the most important goal of the design. At the same time, contemporary pedagogy requires spaces that allow for different learning situations and teaching concepts. The diversity of teaching forms plays an important role, especially in an all-day school where children can also learn and play outside of class. Every school offers covered and open areas as green classrooms that can be used for outdoor lessons.
The design concept of differentiated learning and play spaces also determines the outdoor space. Each school offers a number of specific outdoor spaces that encourage learning, sports and play. Above all, the outdoor spaces create open spaces for pupils to
interact in larger and smaller groups. Small-scale, protected and quiet spaces for retreat and shelter result, which are especially important for smaller children at the beginning of their school years.
Outdoor space planning is particularly important for school buildings. Learning Landscapes are often the first public space that young people can independently discover and comprehensively socially shape for often dynamic groups. An important part of life and personal development takes place "in the schoolyard", where school children shape their own lives, try out friendships and invent games.
Good landscape design is particularly important for fitting standardised construction methods into different contexts, especially in the vicinity of a Baroque orangery and the historic palace garden in Bendeleben and the medieval monastery of Ilfeld. However, we are not concerned with a lot of material expenditure but with sensible, clear and inviting spatial design that is comprehensible to all age groups, on a scale suitable for children, also adapted to the world and meeting spaces of adults, parents as well as teachers, with as few frills as possible. DGJ Landscapes developed the design as a preliminary design together with Plan drei Landschaftsarchitektur from Erfurt who will follow both pilot projects from the definitive design project onwards.

Architectural and landscape planning competition, 1st place