Learning from the Woodlands

The primary aim is to integrate the project into the delicate landscape of the Black Forest while considering the local natural and cultural context. In doing so, the investigation of ecological themes emerges as the main motive of the project; research into the timber industry, the forest‘s history, the bark beetle infestation, the historic Black Forest farmsteads and the valley‘s flood risks profoundly influenced the design. This research-driven approach sought to uncover themes that guided design rules, creating a proposal that embodies the resilience and adaptability of its surroundings.

The site is bordered by the Elz River to the south and dense forest to the north, creating three defining zones: the forest, the river, and the adjacent dwellings. The school‘s buildings are strategically positioned to integrate these landscape elements, forming an ensemble defined by programmatic needs, outdoor space, and the natural terrain. The school is planned as a campus comprising three clusters: living, learning, and crafting. The three buildings of the Forest House, the River House and the Courtyard House each feature a central bend, allowing adaptation to the surrounding landscape and creating distinct spatial zones within. Germany‘s forests are heavily infested with the bark beetle, affecting around three-quarters of the trees. Although the structural integrity of the wood remains intact, visual defects often lead to it being processed. The blue stain fungi, which invade through bark beetle openings, color the wood blue. This beetle wood is repurposed in the school‘s design, with blue-colored elements accentuating key details in each building. The Elz Valley‘s frequent flooding necessitates special considerations. The vocational school is elevated on individual point foundations, providing flood protection and minimizing its environmental footprint. The design preserves the rising terrain and allows the marshy meadow landscape to flourish beneath the buildings. The historic Black Forest farmsteads inspire the school‘s architectural language and their traditional building elements are abstracted and reinterpreted in a contemporary context. The goal was to create an architecture that balances simplicity and complexity, familiarity and surprise, stringency and variation.