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 | May 12, 2015
Bjarke Ingels completes Danish high school sports and arts expansion
By placing parts of the new building beneath the football fields, the students are able to walk through the sunken sports hall at the center of the school´s courtyard to the classrooms, cafeteria, and out to the main entrance at street level.
Sponsored | | May 11, 2015
Fire-rated glass separation helps merge new and old pools into a single connected aquatics center
Clear fire-rated glazing helps create a light-filled, safe space for student athletes and spectators in Niles, Illinois.
K-12 Schools | Apr 28, 2015
How to create an environment where students want to succeed
According to a 2014 Gallup poll, our school system not only kills children’s creativity, but also takes its toll on their motivation, writes Perkins+Will's Tinka Rogic.
K-12 Schools | Mar 22, 2015
Budget woes may lead to moratorium on school projects in Alaska
The bill would suspend 70% cost reimbursement from state to localities.
K-12 Schools | Mar 18, 2015
The new Vo-Tech: Transforming vocational workshops into 21st century learning labs
It’s no secret: the way students learn today is different. But facilities are adapting to the increasing demands of technology, collaborative learning, and project-based instruction.
Retail Centers | Mar 10, 2015
Retrofit projects give dying malls new purpose
Approximately one-third of the country’s 1,200 enclosed malls are dead or dying. The good news is that a sizable portion of that building stock is being repurposed.
K-12 Schools | Mar 2, 2015
BD+C special report: What it takes to build 21st-century schools
How the latest design, construction, and teaching concepts are being implemented in the next generation of America’s schools.
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2015
Nevada moves to suspend prevailing wage rules on school projects
The Nevada Senate approved a bill that would suspend prevailing wage rules on school projects.
K-12 Schools | Mar 1, 2015
Are energy management systems too complex for school facility staffs?
When school districts demand the latest and greatest, they need to think about how those choices will impact the district’s facilities employees.
K-12 Schools | Feb 26, 2015
Should your next school project include a safe room?
Many school districts continue to resist mandating the inclusion of safe rooms or storm shelters in new and existing buildings. But that may be changing.
