The city of Skanderborg is investing in new school facilities in Hørning. They will replace the current Bakkeskolen as a new 4 form entry school grade 0-9 with integrated nursery and kindergarten. It will be a new dynamic center for the local community, also providing after school club, sports facilities, music studios and creative workshop spaces that can be used after school hours.

As client advisor we worked closely with both the municipality, the leadership team, the school building committee as well as the whole staff and all students at the school to identify how their pedagogical vision could translate to physical spaces.

Through a series of co-creation workshops we developed the framework for organizing functions and spaces as well specific requirements for rooms, sizes, functionalities etc. A strong theme that came out was Nature – in choice of materials, shapes, colors and as trees, plants and green areas. We even explored an ‘inside-out’ version of the school imagining that it was an outdoor school.

The new school will replace the smaller and outdated Bakkeskolen, starting with phase 1, the primary school. The current school is at capacity and facing a solid increase in student roll in the coming years due to new housing developments.

Autens is collaborating with D-K2 on the project. D-K2 handles the overall planning and procurement aspects while Autens has provided leadership and facilitation for the early stage engagement of all stakeholders, shaping the pedagogical discussions, prototyping and ideas into a functional programme for the new school.