https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/2168 en-us Prefabricated wood units stack to create friendly interim quarters for a German middle school.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13189 Mon, 01 Jan 2018 06:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13189-igs-kalbach-riedberg-by-nkbak Rough-finished Douglas fir cladding helps the boxlike form of this temporary school harmonize with the landscaping of a new residential quarter to the north and an orchard to the south. Photo © Thomas Mayer A window-wall on the building’s northeast edge carries daylight into the entry and corridors. Photo © Thomas Mayer The units were delivered and installed over a three-week period. Photo © Thomas Mayer Factory-built stairs have the same lavender hue as the halls. Photo © Thomas Mayer Extensive glazing in classrooms and along the ends of corridors infuses the interiors with daylight and provides views of the neighborhood. Photo © Thomas Mayer Extensive glazing in classrooms and along the ends of corridors infuses the interiors with daylight and provides views of the neighborhood. Photo © Thomas Mayer The 9-foot-10-inch-wide hallways have colorful floors and are used as informal work areas. Photo © Thomas Mayer Image courtesy NKBAK Modular construction yields a surprisingly fresh aesthetic in a school for young children in Germany.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11406 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11406-european-school-frankfurt-by-nkbak European School Frankfurt Corrugated, perforated, and matte aluminum cladding make up much of the school’s exterior. But generous triple-glazed windows allow views to the surroundings and make the wood construction visible, even from the outside, so children can see and understand the building’s structure. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the school’s interior with daylight. This expansive fenestration required sunshades on the south and east facades to prevent overheating in summer. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt The expansive fenestration required sunshades on the south and east facades to prevent overheating in summer. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt Perforated metal screens cover much of the glazing. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt Each classroom is 870 square feet and is made up of three prefabricated wood modules. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt The classrooms are clustered along an L-shaped corridor, which is enclosed by extensive glazing when single-loaded and widens where double-loaded to become a communication zone. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt Each stairwell is painted a vibrant color—magenta, lemon yellow, or lime green—providing a contrast to the whitewashed wood surfaces in the classrooms and corridors. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt The wood modules, as well as almost all other building parts, including the stairwells, were factory-produced in Austria. Photo courtesy NKBAK European School Frankfurt Flatbed trucks transported the prefabricated elements 290 miles to the site, arriving every half hour over a three-and-a-half-week period. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt The modules were stacked on a slab and fastened to create a three-dimensional frame stiffened by the stairwell walls. Photo © Thomas Mayer European School Frankfurt Image courtesy NKBAK European School Frankfurt Image courtesy NKBAK European School Frankfurt Image courtesy NKBAK European School Frankfurt Image courtesy NKBAK