skop's self-sufficient school in switzerland also provides energy for 50 households

skop, a zurich-based architecture firm, has completed a school in switzerland with a distinctive roof structure. located in port, a village in the north west of the country, the design references the pitched roofs of the neighboring houses, the region’s rural history, and the undulations of the nearby jura mountains. placed on a gentle slope, the building takes advantage of the topography and links various outdoor spaces according to different access routes.

the school is located in port, a village in northwestern switzerland
image © julien lanoo (also main image)

the school’s ground floor is used for faculty administration, workshops, a kitchen, and back of house areas, while the first floor — which benefits from the spatial qualities of the folded roof canopy — comprises nine classrooms and three kindergarten units. the classrooms have been conceived by skop as independent houses, creating a welcoming and homelike atmosphere for children.

the building’s roof accommodates 1,102 solar panels 
image © julien lanoo

adjacent classrooms are linked with each other through large doors and have direct access to group working spaces and a generous multifunctional middle zone. meanwhile, large parts of the interior walls are developed as floor-to-ceiling magnetic blackboards. overhead, a series of skylights provide daylight, while the rooms along the perimeter receive natural light from two directions as a result of their angled orientation.

the panels provide electricity for the school as well as 50 additional households
image © julien lanoo

using prefabricated timber construction methods, sustainably sourced wood has been used throughout the school’s design. from an environmental perspective, the building has an air-tight envelope with an energy-efficient ventilation system. meanwhile, operable windows allow natural cross ventilation and night cooling, resulting in greater comfort. impressively, 1,102 solar panels provide enough electricity to cover the energy consumption of the school as well as 50 additional households.

the design references the pitched roofs of the neighboring houses
image © julien lanoo

the ground floor is used for faculty administration, workshops, and a school kitchen
image © julien lanoo

overhead, a series of skylights provide daylight
image © julien lanoo

rooms along the perimeter receive natural light from two directions
image © julien lanoo

sustainably sourced wood has been used throughout the school’s design
image © julien lanoo

the building has an air-tight envelope with an energy-efficient ventilation system
image © julien lanoo

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project info:

name: school in port
address: schulweg 12, 2562 port, switzerland
project phases: competition: 2013, 1st prize; project: 2014-15; realization: 2015-17
architect: skop, zürich, switzerland
partner: martin zimmerli, silvia weibel hendriksen, basil spiess
team: david brunner, angelika marxer
client: community of port, switzerland

planning
architect planning: skop gmbh, zürich
construction management: spörri graf partner | APP AG, bern
landscape design: grand paysage gmbh, basel
timber engineering: indermühle bauingenieure gmbh, thun
structural engineering: tschopp ingenieure gmbh, bern
mechanical engineering: tp, ag für technische planungen, biel
electrical engineering: a. schlosser AG, biel
building physics: pirmin jung ingenieure AG, rain
wayfinding: superbüro, barbara ehrbar, biel
geology: kellerhals + haefeli AG, bern
photovoltaics: energyoptimizer gmbh, pieterlen