Hellwies School Complex, Volketswil
1st prize in competition
The existing Hellwies school complex consists of three wings. Wings A and C, built in 1968/69, will be upgraded and extended by adding an extra storey. Wing A is currently three storeys high. The structure consists of reinforced concrete and masonry. Wing C is currently one to two storeys high and is partly of solid construction and partly steel construction. Both buildings are founded on Franki piles. Both buildings will be extended by one storey across the entire floor plan area using lightweight construction. The roof of each extension consists of timber beams. In Wing A, these span a learning landscape over 24 m without intermediate supports. In Wing C, they span a new sports hall with changing rooms arranged along the sides. The floor of the extensions consists of a composite reinforced-concrete beam grid that distributes the loads specifically to the strongest existing vertical load-bearing elements. In Wing C, the high dynamic loads from sports activities in particular must be taken into account for the lightweight, long-spanning grid. Where necessary, the existing structure will be supplemented or strengthened to transfer the new loads into the ground.