Expansion Gymnasium Neufahrn
Due to rising student numbers the Oskar-Maria-Graf-Gymnasium in Neufahrn near Munich required eight additional classrooms. Opposed to the original idea of creating a provisional building made of containers, a free standing structure comprised of prefabricated elements made of wood was developed according to the German VOF Regulations on Contract Awards for Independent Professional Services. An open space in front of the school entrance was available as site. Here, the new building and the adjacent cafeteria define an open plaza. As required, the project exceed the container solution in terms of budget only very slightly. Also, it offered a simple way of expanding the building again by another eight classrooms in the future. The architects developed an orthogonal building with a generous entrance area and classrooms on the upper floors. Two enclosed staircases and stair and corridor widths that already now could accommodate twice the number of students ensure that only few construction interventions will be required once the new building is expanded again towards the north. In terms of construction the new building is significantly more complex than one would assume on first sight. Between the interior partition walls 1,25 m thick plywood ceiling elements serve as single span beams following the length of the building. Due to the elevated ground floor the partition walls on the first floor are designed as shear walls placed on top of slender steel posts or enclosed glued laminated timber columns. The ceiling elements above the ground floor are suspended by the shear walls and connected to their undersides with threaded bolts. All bolt heads are covered by wood plugs due to fireproofing requirements and for visual purposes. Above the foyer the plywood ceiling elements of the corridor are connected to the classroom partition walls from below with bolts. These walls are suspended from longitudinal steel beams placed on top of the partition walls of the classrooms. In case of a future expansion of the building door openings required for the additional classrooms can be easily saw-cut out of the full storey height plywood elements that comprise the northern wall. Due to the consistently functional details planned and designed in cooperation with the structural engineers, the architects were able to realise a building that exemplifies that cost-efficient construction doesn’t necessarily have to lead to deficits in terms of function or aesthetics.
