| Construction table | |
|---|---|
| Project | Fuchshof School, Ludwigsburg |
| Client | City of Ludwigsburg |
| Planner | VON M, Stuttgart |
| Timber construction | müllerblaustein HolzBauWerke GmbH, Blaustein |
| Wood fibre insulation | Gutex Multitherm, Gutex Thermosafe-wd |
| Photos | Martin Granacher |
When designing the new primary school, VON M architects were inspired by the appearance of a filled-in library and translated this idea into a hybrid timber-reinforced concrete building that adapts lengthwise to the terrain. The building's ceilings project evenly from all sides, forming escape balconies all round. The ground floor is set back slightly from the upper floors and is divided into two halves of the building, offset from each other. This creates two covered courtyards, one of which serves as a protected recreation area, while underneath the second, the school path leads to the main entrance in the centre of the building.
A central entrance hall divides the building into two wings on the ground floor: one to the west with the administration and staff rooms and the library, and the other to the east with the refectory and adjoining kitchen. A wide staircase leads to the upper floors, where a concept of teaching space with learning clusters has been created on either side of the glazed atrium.
As the client, the town of Ludwigsburg set itself the goal of constructing the new school as a sustainable building built according to the life-cycle principle. The competition therefore called for the use of wood and materials from renewable resources. The result is a framework combining cross-shaped columns with glulam main and secondary beams, and cross-laminated timber panels for the ceilings and roof. Only the service core and basement are in reinforced concrete.
‘In addition to the sustainable load-bearing structure, the focus was on sustainable structures with as many construction elements as possible made from renewable raw materials,’ explains architect Matthias Siegert. For this reason, a multi-layer insulation layer was integrated into the flat roof structure using Gutex Multitherm insulation panels (0.042 W/mK reference thermal conductivity), which were covered with additional sloped insulation for building physics reasons. The panel, made from wood fibres, is characterised by its high heat storage capacity and provides excellent heat protection. It is harmless from a building biology perspective, certified by the ‘natureplus’ environmental label and recyclable. With its single-layer, homogeneous gross density profile, the compression-resistant, windproof, water-repellent and therefore moisture-resistant insulation is also ideal as a stable base for the construction of a green roof. Architect Siegert is convinced: ‘It is therefore the ideal choice to meet the requirements of the city of Ludwigsburg for the roof construction of this eco-friendly school building.’
The floor structure was also constructed using sustainable insulation materials: Gutex Thermosafe-wd compression-resistant wood fibre insulation board and Gutex Thermofloor impact sound insulation board.
Thanks to the load-bearing timber and reinforced concrete framework, the teaching space concept of the learning clusters can be moved around easily: just like the large-scale use of timber, a renewable building material, it makes a major contribution to the Fuchshof School's sustainability concept.
