Sweco, AB

Minerva School

Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach

MINERVA SCHOOL

Sweco Architects

LOCATION
Sweden

CATEGORY
High School

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Elizabeth Öhman, Thomas Greindl

YEAR
2016

MANUFACTURERS
GKD Metal Fabrics, Forbo Flooring Systems, GlasLindberg, Höganäs, Rockfon, Essi Serge, Fermacell, Thermowood

AREA
6700 m²

PHOTOGRAPHS
Felix Gerlach

OTHER PARTICIPANTS
Henrik Folkar, Shira Jacobs, Christoffer An-dersson, Ylva Tomasdotter, Johan Jeppsson, Stina Nygren, Martin Björklund, Daniel Blomqvist, Jonas Westman, Bo Jonsson, Anna Lundberg

Minerva Gymnasium is located directly adjacent to the Campus in Umeå. The school is a college preparatory high school for 800 students and has partnered with the University of Umeå. The architectural vision has been developed based on the conditions of the site.

Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach
Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach

Contact with nature is accentuated by durable materials and solutions in the form of raw and neat materials, such as heat-treated wood and stainless steel. The school's design provides order through a hierarchical structure with social public spaces on the ground floor and school activities on the 2nd and 3rd floor.

Each volume has its own identity through form and material. Hidden continuous stairwells bind the different functions of the school.

Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach
Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach

Classrooms and administrative spaces are reached from the core of the school volume, which also holds group rooms and workspaces for all occasions.

The interior is pervaded by an open classic minimalist design. Through sight lines and large glass surfaces, the building is perceived as light and transparent. Transparency is enhanced through environmental lighting inside as well as outside.

Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach
Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach

The school's volumes rest on the transparent foundation containing the auditorium, café, and restaurant.

The landscape architecture connects the school environment with nature and reinforces the connection with the building: hard, clean surfaces near the building, through soft rolling functional surfaces on the disguised façade, into the natural landscape.

Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach
Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach
Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach

The different shapes and designs of the terraces give a varied experience of the landscape. The school is certified Environmental Building Silver.

Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach
Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach
Minerva School
© Felix Gerlach


Minerva School
Elevations


Minerva School
Class Rooms Axonometric
Minerva School
Floor Plan

Sweco, AB
T +46 8 6956000
Sweco, AB
Gjörwellsgatan 22, 112 60 Stockholm, Sweden