White Arkitekter adds corrugated copper walls to Norway’s Bråtejordet School

Another request from the client was for a building that will stand the test of time, so the materials used were «chosen to cope with hard wear and to age beautifully, without requiring too much maintenance». This school building in Norway was designed by Swedish firm White Arkitekter with copper walls and   a zigzagging green roof to reference the forms and materials of a nearby historic industrial town. It incorporates treads of double height and width that can be used as casual bleacher seating. «The views are framed and the learning environments are less open than on the entrance floor, enhancing the sense of concentration and peace,» said the architects. «The folded roof creates a silhouette that alludes to Strømmen’s industrial history, as well as providing high ceilings with beautiful spatial sensations far from the image of a regular classroom.»
A wide wooden staircase connects the foyer with the main teaching areas on the level above. The faceted ceiling above the double-height space follows the shape of the roof. Each one forms the nexus of a unit incorporating an adjacent breakout space, toilet and student lockers. The yard is separated into different areas, in a similar way to the layout of the nearby fields, with a social area incorporating picnic benches and a stepped seating stage in the area sheltered by the L-shaped plan. Related story: LCR Architectes clads French middle school with tarnished copper panelsIn response to a brief calling for a building that focuses on «concentration and peace for study», the design uses different levels to separate the school from the town, and to demarcate areas for teaching from those dedicated to play and communal activities. It incorporates skylights that bring natural light into the interior while emphasising the alternating angles of the surfaces. The exterior is clad in corrugated pre-patinated copper that creates gentle reflections, while light terrazzo flooring merges with the pale concrete of the yard outside. Photography is by Ivan Brodey. The open foyer is also used as a canteen and assembly hall and is flanked by workshops, music studios, a library and offices. «The theme of the formation is linked to the surrounding agricultural landscape,» added the architects. The first of the distinct spaces that emphasise the transition from community to learning environment is a yard ringed with trees that distances the building from its surroundings.