Kössen Educational Center
In Kössen, Austria, Pedevilla Architects designed an educational center that brings together a primary school, kindergarten, nursery, extracurricular activities and gymnasium under one roof.
Located on the northern edge of Kössen's town center, the new educational center serves as a link between the town's public life and the surrounding residential neighborhoods. The building is designed to connect people, activities, and generations, establishing a new central hub for the community.
The project brings together a primary school, kindergarten, daycare, spaces for extracurricular activities, and a gymnasium under one roof. This programmatic integration aims to foster interaction between different age groups, creating an environment where learning, playing, working, and socializing are all part of a shared experience.
From its earliest stages, the design process unfolded as an ongoing dialogue between architects, users, local authorities, and technical teams. Participatory workshops, consultation sessions, and phased planning enabled the development of a collective vision that guided the project from the competition to its completion.
The proposal draws inspiration from Kössen's traditional architecture and the region's characteristic rural buildings. Wide eaves, wooden cladding, and a robust structure inspire a contemporary reinterpretation that seeks to integrate seamlessly into the existing urban landscape.
The spatial organization responds to the different needs of each program through a staggered composition of volumes. The school, kindergarten, and extracurricular areas have independent entrances facing a common covered courtyard that serves as a meeting and distribution space for the entire educational community.
The building is structured as a learning landscape where interior and exterior are closely linked. Open pathways, visual connections, and intermediate spaces encourage daily interaction, while each sector maintains its functional and operational autonomy.
Materiality is one of the central aspects of the proposal. The facade, made of local wood stained green, establishes a direct relationship with the surroundings, while yellow and red elements incorporated into the eaves and sun protection systems provide identity and facilitate orientation for younger users.
Inside, a limited palette of natural materials, selected for their durability and sensory qualities, predominates. Solid fir wood, lime plaster, mineral flooring, and acoustic surfaces create warm environments that invite you to live in them and personalize them over time.
Far from concealing the aging of the materials, the project incorporates it as part of its design. The surfaces are intended to reflect everyday use and build a tangible relationship between the architecture and its inhabitants, allowing the building to evolve alongside its community.
References to local heritage also appear in the details. A graphic system inspired by traditional cross-stitch embroidery becomes an element of signage, orientation, and recognition, integrated into doors, railings, ceilings, and furniture.
The outdoor spaces extend the educational experience through play and learning areas connected to nature. Equipment for motor development, sensory trails, sand and water areas, meadows, and spaces for rest create a changing landscape that adapts to the different seasons.
Sustainability permeates every aspect of the project. The use of regional materials, the pursuit of durable construction solutions, and the integration of green spaces reinforce a strategy aimed at reducing environmental impact and promoting the well-being of users.
Thus, the Kössen Educational Center presents itself as a community infrastructure capable of supporting the growth of future generations. Through an architecture sensitive to the site, materiality, and everyday experience, the project creates an environment that fosters learning, strengthens social bonds, and consolidates a collective identity for the Kössen community.
PLANOS
Pedevilla Architects Project
Año 2025
Location: Kössen, Austria
Client: Municipality of Kössen
Fotografía Gustav Willeit
