Ecological lessons: the many ecological innovations in this Norwegian school should inspire radical new thinking about the type.Kvernhuset secondary school is in the forest edge of Fredrikstad on the coast of south-east Norway. It is intended to involve its community in ecological study, and as few as possible of the surrounding trees were demolished de·mol·ish tr.v. de·mol·ished, de·mol·ish·ing, de·mol·ish·es 1. To tear down completely; raze. 2. To do away with completely; put an end to. 3. during its construction; granite and timber from the site were used in the school's construction, and natural cooling and heating were used as extensively as possible. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On a west-facing slope, accommodation has been arranged on two levels. On each, single-storey fingers spread out into the forest. The lower (western) level contains the entrance, and common facilities like the students' cafeteria cafeteria: see restaurant. , administration, workshops, gallery and craft studios. These are linked by a linear hall that wriggles along the steep rock slope into which the building is partly cut. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The upper level, built on the largely flat (eastern) side of the site, consists of three wings in which home bases (flexible but largely traditional classrooms) look out north into the trees. Southern sides of the wings have a long, thinner common space with porches opening to the landscape, aquariums and greenhouses, and facilities for noisier and dirtier activities. Between the two strips is a heavy spine containing storage, utilities and cloakrooms. The wings are linked to the lower parts of the school by a long library that runs parallel to the hall below. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Each of the home base wings has a characteristic colour (yellow, blue and green), which is seen in parts of the interior design and, externally, in translucent translucent slightly penetrable by light rays. insulation panels. Other cladding The plastic or glass sheath that is fused to and surrounds the core of an optical fiber. The cladding's mirror-like coating keeps the light waves reflected inside the core. The cladding is covered with a protective outer jacket. See fiber optics glossary. at this level is glass and panels of timber taken from the site. The lower blocks are in concrete clad in gabions filled with site granite; roofs are planted with indigenous flora. Site materials are seen most dramatically in the cafeteria and long hall, where columns that support the in-situ concrete roof are astonishingly a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. made of trunks of trees cut down to make the building--the forest has been remade re·made v. Past tense and past participle of remake. inside. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cooling and heating are largely catered for by storey-height air ducts that run behind the long hall and under the home base wings from a heat pump heat pump: see air conditioning. heat pump Device for transferring heat from a substance or space at one temperature to another at a higher temperature. that uses the mass of the granite of the hill as a thermal flywheel. Daylighting For the restoration of culverted streams to above-ground channels, see . Daylighting is the practice of placing windows, or other transparent media, and reflective surfaces so that, during the day, natural light provides effective internal illumination. is maximized throughout. The jury was enthusiastic about the many ingenious environmental and social ideas incorporated in the school. But some members were worried about the bunker-like, unwelcoming appearance of the entrance level, and by the way in which the lower part meets the upper. Others were troubled by the notion of students spending perhaps years in intense yellow, blue or green environments. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] [GRAPHIC OMITTED] |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion