Skälbyskolan

The new Skälby School and Preschool is a trefoil shaped building, set in souterrain. The building divides the outside space into three parts; a schoolyard, a smaller yard for the preschool and a fully accessible entrance and car park. The new school replaces a previous school at the site. The school derives its character and identity from a colour scheme that is present on the exterior as well as the interior; the colours of the buildings gables and windows are also found in the colours of the interior. The learning environment is designed to be stimulating and promote collaboration through its organization of space and attention to details. Acoustic panels and colourful soundproofing boards are important elements in the interior while at the same time contributing to theacoustics. Skylights and intimate windowsills, deep enough to offer seating, provide a light and spacious atmosphere to the building. A generous number of windows and exits to the gables’ balconiescreate visual contact with the surrounding greenery and the schoolyard’s vegetation continues up onto the sedum roof. Inside, the learning environments are gathered round the shared “heart”, reaching up through a double story height. Large, triangularsky lights flood the space with natural day light throughout the day. The layout enables functional, space-efficient premises eliminating corridors, and thus creating safe and populated spaces. The heart acts as a welcoming meeting place as well as an area of circulation. The tiers, at the ground floor, provides seating and turns the heart into a theatre for lectures or improvised acting. The public functions, such as the gymnasium and the canteen and kitchen, are located at the bottom floor, partially in souterrain, accessible to the surrounding neighbourhood. Ideas for the new school were developed through dialogues with reference groups from the school and preschool as well as with representatives from Sollentuna municipality. The design process then started with the future inhabitants in mind and the aspiration to create a school and preschool that is both welcoming and generous. The design aims to give the children a sense of belonging and inspire the teachers with an environment that provides support in their teaching process. The schools’ learning environments are divided into entities for 60 students, consisting of smaller and larger learning spaces, tiers, cloakrooms and toilets. Through a variety of spaces within the learning environments the conditions are set to give each student a chance to find hers or his favourite place, but also opportunities for educators to vary their teaching and adapt it to each given situation. This makes the premises adaptableand possible to use in different ways whilst also promoting cooperation within the team of teachers and between different ages of students.