New construction of the Goldene Aue school centre in Goslar

As a replacement building for the existing building, the planned Goldene Aue school centre will be home to an intermediate school and a secondary school on the same site.

The unusual aspect of the project is that the two schools will share the building to the greatest possible extent, while keeping the two types of schooling separate and distinct from one another at the same time. In this respect, the educational institutions are primarily organised according to age structures and only secondarily according to school type. The forum, canteen and science rooms will be shared. As a logical consequence of this approach, the school centre has a main entrance with a forum, through which all students access the building. Along with its
function as a meeting point, learning space and assembly area with stage, this architectural element plays two other key roles: fostering the school’s visibility and the channelling pupils into the individual “learning houses.”

As the existing building will remain in use until the new building is completed, the new school complex had to be erected on the remaining free space on the site.

Positioned parallel and in line with the sports hall, the entrance cube is clearly visible from the development situated opposite to it. From the ground floor level, it leads users along the opposite side to the upper floor, which in turn is located on the schoolyard level. The “learning houses” on the two upper floors are accessed via a main corridor. Each of these follows a uniform system of three to four classrooms arranged around a multi-purpose area with adjoining side rooms. Two such clusters are grouped around an atrium and form the “learning house” for a given age group.

An adjoining staircase leads to the new schoolyard area on the south side of the building. The intensive greening, which also makes use of the existing potential, forms a contrast to the brick façade of the new building.

During the planning phase, particular attention was paid to optimising energy requirements. The building will comply with “Energy Efficiency House 55” standards in accordance with the German Federal Grant Programme for Efficient Buildings (BEG). The heating system of the sports hall, the vocational training centre, and the new building will be upgraded. Gas-fired boilers will be used in combination with an air-to-water heat pump system to cover the base load for the new building.

A large part of the building is supplied with fresh air via several supply and exhaust air systems. The electrical power supply for the site is provided by a medium-voltage system. A 50-kWp PV system will generate its own electricity, reducing the building’s energy requirements and supplementing the PV system displaced from the existing building. The lighting uses LED technology and is controlled by presence detectors.