In 2021, the city of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler and the surrounding area along the Ahr River suffered extensive damage from a once-in-a-century flood. Infrastructure and buildings near the river, such as the Bad Neuenahr Elementary School, were heavily impacted. This project aims to provide a new home for the growing school community, creating a future-oriented cluster school surrounded by vibrant outdoor spaces.

The site for the new school building is characterized by mature trees as well as a heterogenous surrounding, still under construction due to the flood. Therefore, the design for the new school envisions to position the building slightly set back from the property boundaries, enabling its cluster pavilions to elevate above the terrain and to create a protected environment for children in-between the treetops.

Constructed from wood, these cluster-pavilions provide a sustainable and uniquely situated teaching and learning setting. Each pavilion includes five classrooms, as well as breakout-areas, arranged around a central marketplace. This central area is adaptable and provides various visual connections to the classrooms and the surrounding greenery. The character of the school is shaped by its wooden construction and the use of natural materials, which foster a warm and inviting atmosphere for teaching and learning. Furthermore, the wooden construction enables flexible floor plans that incorporate the specified cluster design of today as well as future developments.

Common functions, such as a library, a cafeteria, and a multipurpose room, are situated on the ground floor, protected in solidly constructed and slightly raised cubes to enhance their resilience against potential future floods. They are linked by a transparent and permeable central hall, that can be largely opened to the outdoor space in summer and transformed into a large community space for special occasions.

The unique setting of the school fosters distinct outdoor spaces tailored to meet the diverse needs for rest and play in a full-day school setting. The close interaction of building and landscape enables a special learning environment for a forward-thinking school community.