“We enter, filled with fire, O Heavenly One, into your sanctuary…”—the Steinmühle leadership team had been working toward this moment for a long time, and Principal Bernd Holly even had the European anthem played. Together with his colleague Björn Gemmer and Managing Director Dirk Konnertz, he waited—megaphone in hand—for the students in grades 7 through 10 on Monday around 8:30 a.m. in front of the new middle school building.
They streamed in, laden with their school supplies, due to the move from the main building—which was undergoing renovation—to the “Atrium.” Gently, they wiped their shoes, and then headed to their assigned classroom. There was something special about that moment.
In his usual style, Christian Plaum, owner of the company Lichtwerk, filmed the scene. Up the stairs, astonished glances at the imposing seating arrangements. It took a moment to get your bearings in the building’s vast spaces. “Oh my God, this is so cool,” one student blurted out. There was no need to ask the students what they thought of the new building. The comments came spontaneously.
School classes fan out
“Awesome” – “So modern” – “Looks really cool” – “And an elevator, dude.” — Sometimes youth slang describes it best. “I think this is sooooo cool,” “All blue and red, how awesome,” “Check this out!” It was really impossible to miss that the furnishings and design also appealed to young people’s tastes. “The classrooms are much bigger,” “So many windows,” “Plants—ah, how cool.” During the long break, they set off on a bigger exploration. “Huge seating areas for a ton of people—you can sit there in massive groups.” When asked specifically what they liked best, they also had compliments for the bathroom designers: “What do I like best? The bathrooms!” —Yeah, why not.
“The interactive whiteboards are really great,” teachers Jennifer Bernhart and Julia Riemenschneider agreed. From the teachers’ perspective, this equipment paves the way for forward-looking, modern instruction.
While school operations are now in full swing, the atmosphere at the Gade construction company—for its managing director, Jochen Schröder, and his staff—is still one of hard work. The outdoor areas aren’t quite finished yet, and inside, small details such as soap dispensers and trash cans on the floors are still missing, as is the entrance grating. Caretakers Oleg Koch and Viktor Grenz can be seen darting back and forth. Their skills are in high demand until these final details are completed shortly.
Balanced Energy Budget
For architect Thomas Oesterle, the tension has eased somewhat, but it’s not quite over yet. There are still a few remaining tasks to be completed. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel—after all, a lot is supposed to happen this week. Then the heating plant will also be handed over to the building maintenance staff.
The designer is proud that he can present effective solutions even for key issues. “Doesn’t all that glazing consume a lot of energy?” Thomas Oesterle explains that triple-pane glazing, combined with thicker walls, compensates for heat loss and restores the energy balance. He also benefits personally from the electricity generated by the building’s photovoltaic system.
For an experienced planner, it goes without saying that all fire safety guidelines have been implemented using the most up-to-date methods. “There are escape routes to the outside from every room on each of the three floors.”
