A newly built school in Copenhagen, Denmark has incorporated 10 solar panels for each student it can accommodate.
The C.F. Møller-designed CIS Nordhavn is clad with 12,000 solar panels that will produce at least half of the school’s annual electricity consumption, a total that is equivalent to about 70 detached houses. The myriad panels will also be used as part of the school’s academic strategy. Students will be able to follow the energy production and utilize the gathered data in subjects such as physics and mathematics.
A close-up of some of the solar panels used in teh school's construction. Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Four smaller sub-schools, separated in relation to the age of the students who will occupy them, divide the large building. The classrooms for the youngest students are the largest in the school because all of the functions — such as outdoor areas, areas for drama and theater facilities, and spaces for activities and exercise — are gathered in and around the classroom.
Each of the four sub-schools sit atop a shared base, which houses common areas like the foyer, sports facilities, cafeteria, library, and drama facilities. The separate area for the classrooms allows them to be closed after school hours while the base can remain open.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Part of the base is also used as a communal roof terrace that acts as the schoolyard for the students. Because the school sits on the waterfront, the schoolyard has been raised to the top of the shared base to prevent students from wandering too far from the school or too close to the water.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
In total, the school encompasses 26,000 sm of space and can accommodate 1,200 students.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Feb 18, 2023
Atlanta suburb opens $85 million serpentine-shaped high school designed by Perkins&Will
In Ellenwood, Ga., a southeast suburb of Atlanta, Perkins and Will has partnered with Clayton County Public Schools and MEJA Construction to create a $85 million secondary school. Morrow High School, which opened in fall 2022, serves more than 2,200 students in Clayton County, a community with students from over 30 countries.
K-12 Schools | Feb 11, 2023
An elementary school in Canada for intellectually challenged kids completes a three-year-long facelift
Last fall, the Yaldei School in Montreal, Quebec, which provides education and therapy to children ages 4 through 16 with intellectual disabilities, completed a $4.5 million renovation of the three-story former parochial school that it had moved into in 2016. The goal of this project, by the firm Stendel + Reich Architecture, was to create spaces that relieve students’ anxiety and make things fun.
Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023
New Giants 400 download: Get the complete at-a-glance 2022 Giants 400 rankings in Excel
See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Feb 6, 2023
2022 Reconstruction Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. building reconstruction and renovation sector
Gensler, Stantec, IPS, Alfa Tech, STO Building Group, and Turner Construction top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest reconstruction sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2022 Giants 400 Report.
K-12 Schools | Jan 25, 2023
As gun incidents grow, schools have beefed up security significantly in recent years
Recently released federal data shows that U.S. schools have significantly raised security measures in recent years. About two-thirds of public schools now control access to school grounds—not just the building—up from about half in the 2017-18 school year.
ProConnect Events | Jan 16, 2023
6 more BD+C ProConnect Events in 2023 – The videos show why you should participate
ProConnects bring building product manufacturers and suppliers together with architects, contractors, builders, and developers to discuss upcoming projects and learn about new products and technical solutions.
K-12 Schools | Dec 23, 2022
Vacant Target store in Minnesota turned into early childhood education center
Lincoln School, a former 90,000-sf Target retail store in Fergus Falls, Minn., was repurposed into Independent School District 544’s newest campus.
Multifamily Housing | Dec 21, 2022
Bay Area school district builds 122 affordable apartments for faculty and staff
The 122 affordable apartments at 705 Serramonte, Daly City, Calif., were set aside not for faculty and staff at Jefferson Union High School District.
K-12 Schools | Dec 20, 2022
Designing an inspiring, net zero early childhood learning center
LPA's design for a new learning center in San Bernardino provides a model for a facility that prepares children for learning and supports the community.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Dec 14, 2022
Flood protection: What building owners need to know to protect their properties
This course from Walter P Moore examines numerous flood protection approaches and building owner needs before delving into the flood protection process. Determining the flood resilience of a property can provide a good understanding of risk associated costs.
