School campus Willy-Hellpach-Schule in Heidelberg. Urban and green space interweave around the open center.
In the two-phase urban and structural engineering realization competition for the development of an existing campus in Heidelberg, we developed a concept that creates open and connecting spaces, while unsealing and planting create a high-quality microclimate on the campus. The competition jury awarded us 2nd prize.
Urban planning guiding idea
The Bildungscampus Mitte defines the new center of the city of Heidelberg at the transition between Weststadt and Südstadt. In the northern area is the Willy-Hellpach-School, which is formed as a composition of similar building volumes around the existing stilted building. Adjacent to this is a generously dimensioned town square. This surrounds the new, openly designed and pavilion-like campus building, which mediates between the existing and new buildings with a two-dimensional and flatly layered structure.
A "green boulevard" supports the emerging interweaving of urban and natural open space and creates a direct passage in an east-west direction. In this way, a quarter is created that will combine diverse urban qualities in the future without separating them thematically.
Willy Hellpach School
The structure of different school uses as well as sports, residential, and recreational offerings gives rise to an interplay of different user groups, which the open space must accommodate. Differentiated spatial typologies, such as central plazas in front of the buildings, courtyards, and green activity areas in the center of campus, achieve just that and put the users in the foreground. The new cubatures of the WHS form a protected area whose seating islands can be used for break design and interaction space for the vocational students.
Campus center and campus house
The campus center is of special importance due to the adjacent building functions. Play and exercise facilities enliven the center and bring people together here even outside school hours. A double row of trees covers the square, provides shade and gives the wide gap between the buildings its own character.
The Campus House as the "heart" of the campus pulsates out into the outdoor space with its social focus. The building is surrounded by open plaza situations that can be temporarily played on.
Open space concept
Clear structures for unambiguous orientation, attractive open spaces, diverse offers for stay, exercise, leisure and sports - all this characterizes the new mixed and networked campus and creates a strong identity and community. The new developments of the Willy Hellpach School (WHS) and the Campus House provide clear access to the site and thus form valuable east-west connections for the city. From the northern modified existing walkway, open pathways naturally lead into the campus. Organic edges provide places to stay, sit, exercise, and play sports, enlivening the campus, including the perimeter areas.
Construction and material
The new building as a timber structure is designed as a flexible space frame with a continuous load-bearing and structural grid, which on the one hand optimizes the construction process in a modular and efficient way, while at the same time creating a robust, permanent framework so that it is possible to react flexibly to changing conditions. Key to the flexibility of the floor plan structure is the load-bearing skeleton of timber columns and beams combined with a timber composite ribbed ceiling. The sanitary cores and staircases provide bracing.
Energy concept
With our technical concept for the new Willy Hellpach School building in Heidelberg, we are focusing on a sustainable heat supply, efficient ventilation systems, the use of renewable energies through a PV system, and demand-controlled drinking water heating.
More views
Sports hall
City entrance north
Fire station with DRK
Municipal school buildings
