Our vision for the Kornwestheim East Campus is a vibrant educational landscape that asserts itself as a coherent ensemble surrounded by generous agricultural, recreational and sports spaces and strongly connected to the outdoors. We gave the existing vocational wing of the secondary school, which was originally slated for demolition, a diagonal orientation and made it the hub and heart of the new campus. The other buildings are arranged in concentric circles around this central star-shaped building with varying spacing, rooflines and connections, creating visual interest as well as inviting spaces designed to build community. The exterior of each new building is a product of its interior function and immediately recognizable across campus with a distinct cubature, orientation or height. Even the gym is fully integrated to strengthen the ensemble as a whole.

The central hub provides various links to the other campus buildings, where there are dedicated spaces for learning as well as multipurpose common areas on several levels both indoors and out. In addition to the evident urban planning and structural benefits, the adaptive reuse of the star-shaped building conserves embodied energy and makes a key contribution to the sustainability of our design. Other environmentally-friendly (sustainable) building practices in this project include timber construction and fully recyclable materials in all new buildings, barrier-free accessibility across campus and large solar panels. 

We designed the campus on a scale suitable for students, providing clusters of informal spaces for learning and social interaction. With such a straightforward, easy-to-navigate campus layout, students have a greater sense of belonging and well-being. The flexible floorplan of the cafeteria and the auditorium can accommodate a wide range of internal and external events as well as providing a large covered entryway. The aim of our design is to promote a strong community feeling and an interactive culture for students from different schools and of different ages.