This project is based on a complete new construction of the entire complex.
The alternative proposal to retain and adapt parts of the existing complex was rejected, as renovating the existing buildings, while a major undertaking, would still not provide the facilities required to run the school in a way that meets contemporary demands.
In addition, during the course of the design work it was revealed that the dimensions of the complex imply an entirely different scale, which would make a successful integration of parts of the existing complex practically impossible.
The Solution in Terms of Function
The stables are laid out around a central courtyard. On the one hand, this ensures short routes and a clear overview from every point in the yard. This layout allows the staff to carry out their daily work with maximum efficiency. A continuous canopy roof provides protection from the weather in accessing all parts of the complex. The stables intervene radically in the surroundings and are surrounded by open spaces, air and sunlight. This establishes an adequate relationship to outdoor space for the animals.
The services wing provides a termination to the northwest, which offers protection from the elements.
Plan
Elevation
Coming from Stremtalstraße the teaching wing forms the start of the complex. Since it is the part of the school that is most often visited by the general public, the riding hall is also located there.
The Solution in Terms of Construction
In principle three different tectonic levels are articulated, each of which is expressed by means of its respective materials:
Those parts that rest on the ground are made of concrete.
The rising walls are built in lightweight timber frame or timber rod construction.
The roofs are load-bearing wooden structures and covered with extensive green planting.
Economy of the Solution
In accordance with the approach to construction outlined above, the most suitable construction method was chosen for each architectural position and optimised. Drawing on concrete and wood, each material is used where it works best.
Sustainability of the Solution in Ecological and Energy Terms
Most of the building materials used can be recycled and are produced in a way that makes economic use of resources.
The green roofs help buffer the impact of summer heat on the roofs. The rainwater feeds into the public separate drainage pipe. The earth excavated during the course of the building work will be used for modelling the surrounding terrain.
Architectural Design Approach
The stables extend like fingers into the surrounding landscape. The complex looks more like a cluster than a traditional four-square farm or a bastion. The buildings, consciously interpreted as part of the landscape, are folded out of the surrounding meadows; their roofs look like elevated grass scars. The entire development is a loosely scattered agricultural enterprise, not a compact industrial complex.
