Böimig
The design competition for the new primary school and sports hall in the Viererfeld and Mittelfeld development district of Bern, launched in June 2023, has now been decided. The «Böimig» design by the team led by the overall service provider ARGE ERNE AG Holzbau and Bauart Architekten und Planer, which included structural engineers LÜCHINGER MEYER PARTNER, came third in the final. The project «impressed the jury with its clear urban planning and architectural approach. It creates a defining link between the historic Enge school building and the new district.»
The design features a ring-shaped school building with an inner courtyard, which, together with the triple-purpose sports hall and the school and district square, forms a balanced ensemble that defines the area’s identity.
The structural framework of the three-storey school building is designed using timber construction, stabilised by two robust main concrete cores and individual wall panels. A clear spatial structure with linear load transfer, comprising an inner and an outer ring, forms the basis for the structural framework with a timber skeleton and timber-hybrid floors.
The sports hall is spanned over a width of almost 35 m by glulam trusses approximately 2 m high. Together with the timber columns integrated into the façade, they form the hall’s primary structural framework. In addition, floor-to-ceiling reinforced concrete columns are arranged between the timber trusses, which ensure horizontal stability and, in the event of an extension, ensure vertical load transfer. The loads from the grandstand on the first floor are transferred to the columns via reinforced concrete beams.
Both building structures have been designed to allow for the addition of two further storeys at a later date.
Visualisations: Nightnurse Images AG
