Unterdorf Elementary School | Dietrich I Untertrifaller

The Unterdorf elementary school in Höchst provides an ideal educational facility for modern pedagogic approaches. It is an uncompromising example of cluster design offering a flexible and nurturing learning environment. In an elegant, linear, one-story wooden structure, four identical teaching clusters are placed on the east side. The heart of each cluster is a top-lighted lounge with a raised roof.The flat school building blends harmoniously into the loosely built environment of single-family houses. The schoolyard in front of the auditorium is connected to the Unterdorf path network. Local residents can use parts of the outdoor areas and sports facilities as freely accessible play and leisure areas.

Playful learning in small groups characterizes the pedagogical concept. Therefore each group gets their own “house” on the east side of the building. In each of the four clusters, two classrooms, a multi-purpose room, a cloakroom with bathrooms and a relaxation area surround a central lounge.

Spatial diversity and transparency result in a varied, flexible learning environment. Opposite, on the west side, the special classes and the administration are located, connected to the lowered gymnasium by a spacious auditorium. Moveable walls can isolate the auditorium from the school area, offering room for external events such as lectures, readings etc. with a maximum of 120 persons.

The central lounge with its pyramid-shaped high ceiling and large skylight, allows natural light to stream into the room, offering an airy and dramatic space. Visual axes are a constant invitation to use the space in the middle, strengthening the sense of community within the cluster. A direct access to an own garden and outdoor class area includes nature and allows short ways.

The school – 100 meters long, 40 meters wide and 4.50 meters high – is constructed entirely of wood, except for the concreted area touching the ground. The unclad wooden construction, made of multi-layered, glued solid wood panels, remains visible in all rooms. Students benefit from a pleasant, warm atmosphere in the building, which at the same time saves heating costs.

With our school architecture, we aim to support new forms of teaching and facilitate inclusion, i.e. the equal participation of all students and lessons tailored to their individual needs. Cluster schools offer the best conditions for this. This pedagogical concept means teaching in small groups, flexible rooms and varied open spaces, ideally with an outdoor reference. A characteristic feature is the dissolution of the rigid spatial program: classrooms along access corridors are replaced by open floor plans that enable different forms of teaching and learning.