Above: Corridor connecting the Saunalahti as-
sembly space to the Public Library at the entry of
the school.
Left: Atrium at the Kolla school connecting the
educational wing through a featured spiral stair.
describing every inch of the school and
explained how the design of each space
was curated to the specific needs of their
pedagogy. He attributes the overall
success of the project to the critical com-
ponent of trust as the guiding principle
of the team. The building was completed
on time on schedule, and Passive House
certification was achieved the summer
before they opened for the first school
year making it the largest Passive House
school in Sweden at the time. As you
enter the building the commitment to
sustainability is reinforced with a digital
display showing real time energy con-
sumption data.
The lobby opens onto a double
height atrium space which serves as a
central-hub linking three educational
wings to community spaces and con-
necting to the playground through large
colorful windows. The fundamental
ingredients that make a memorable
building interior; light, color, acous-
tics, texture are elegantly combined in
18 essentials | summer 2019