Project

Bubenholz School Complex

- Opfikon, Switzerland

The Bubenholz School Complex in Opfikon redefines educational spaces with its innovative design, integrating nature and urban connectivity.

Exterior view of a modern school complex with light-colored facades and wooden accents, featuring a pedestrian crossing in the foreground.

A modern school complex with two main buildings featuring a facade of light-colored panels and wooden accents. The foreground shows a pedestrian crossing and a path leading to the entrance. Trees and landscaping elements are visible around the buildings.

Story

Bubenholz School Complex

Integrating Nature and Urban Connectivity The Bubenholz School Complex in Opfikon, designed by Adrian Streich Architekten, thoughtful urban integration and educational innovation. Situated at the urban interface of Opfikon and Glattbrugg, the complex leverages its position above a motorway enclosure to bridge the two districts, creating a cohesive urban fabric. Two distinct yet connected volumes house the primary school functions. The school wing, with its distinctive folded wood-Eternit facade, is strategically rotated to offer classrooms diagonal views into the surrounding greenery, mitigating motorway noise through thoughtful spatial projections and recesses. This design facilitates an open learning landscape where traditional classroom boundaries are dissolved, fostering collaborative learning across age groups. The gymnasium wing, acting as a noise buffer, is positioned perpendicular to the green space, concluding the Bubenholz Park. Its folded roof silhouette reveals the structural ingenuity of the cross-spanned gymnasium. Constructed with a wood-concrete skeleton, the buildings feature light-colored Eternit panel facades and slender solid wood posts, creating a rhythmic facade pattern. Internally, the use of wood wool slabs enhances acoustics, while exposed concrete and wooden elements define the interiors.

Design Highlights

Strategic rotation of the school wing for optimal views and noise reduction Open learning landscapes replacing traditional classroom settings Gymnasium wing as a noise barrier with a distinctive folded roof Use of wood-concrete skeleton construction for structural and aesthetic coherence Integration of landscape elements to extend Bubenholz Park

Key Facts

Key Detail Description
Location Opfikon, Switzerland
Architect Adrian Streich Architekten AG
Completion 2025
Construction Cost 33 million CHF
Programs Primary school, kindergarten, childcare, gymnasium
Energy Concept Minergie

Technical summary

Updated 4/1/2026

Finishes

  • Facade: Light-colored Eternit panels with wooden accents.
  • Interior: Wooden finishes for doors, windows, and learning benches.

Materials

  • Wood — Structural columns and interior finishes.
  • Concrete — Structural beams and interior walls.
  • Eternit panels — Facade cladding.

Construction / Systems

  • Wood-concrete skeleton construction: The buildings consist of a wood-concrete skeleton construction with rear-ventilated facades.

Products

  • Not specified

Palette / Lighting

  • Colors: light-colored facade, wooden accents
  • Lighting: Natural light through large windows

Images

Exterior view of a modern school complex with light-colored facades and wooden accents, featuring a pedestrian crossing in the foreground.
Modern school buildings with large windows and light-colored facades, surrounded by trees and greenery, with a cyclist on the road.
Modern building with grid facade and large windows, surrounded by trees and a pathway.
Exterior of Bubenholz School Complex with two buildings featuring large windows and a playground with children playing.
Modern building with large windows and wooden accents, entrance visible with people entering, surrounded by trees and paved area.
Modern school building with large windows and a light-colored facade.
Exterior of a multi-story building with large windows and a light facade, featuring a flat roof and entrance canopy.
Modern building with large windows and wooden facade elements, surrounded by trees and pathways.
Modern school building with folded roof and basketball court in front.
Exterior view of a school building with a folded roof and large windows, next to a paved area with chalk drawings.
Highway with light trails and a building with a folded roof in the background at dusk.
Highway at dusk with light trails and a building with a folded facade above the road.
Staircase with concrete walls and wooden handrails, leading to a window showing greenery.
Interior space with concrete walls and a large window with a red frame overlooking a road.
Interior of a building with large orange-framed windows, wooden handrail, and concrete wall, overlooking trees and another building.
Interior staircase with metal railings, wooden handrails, large windows with red frames, and a concrete wall.
Interior staircase with concrete walls, large windows, and children walking.
Interior of a school hallway with concrete walls, red-framed windows, wooden doors, staircase, and ceiling lights.
Interior of a modern classroom with wooden flooring, large windows, and wooden furniture.
School classroom interior with wooden columns and circular seating arrangement.
Interior of a modern educational space with circular seating, colorful cushions, and large windows.
Interior of a modern educational space with wooden elements, large windows, hexagonal seating, and a blue rug.
School room interior with wooden elements, a round window, and a wash area.
Multipurpose room with chairs facing a stage, musical instruments, and large windows with orange frames.
Modern classroom interior with large windows, tables, stools, and kitchenette.
Interior view of a gymnasium with wooden walls and ceiling beams, a basketball hoop, climbing equipment, and a sports floor with various markings.
Interior of a gymnasium with wooden walls and ceiling beams, large windows, and a sports floor with markings.
Interior of a gymnasium with wooden walls and ceiling, featuring large windows and a light-colored floor.
Gymnasium interior with wooden walls, large windows, and a sports floor.
Scale model of an urban area with buildings and trees.
Top-down view of an architectural model with various rooms and open spaces.
Site plan of an urban area with buildings and roads, highlighting a specific complex.
Site plan of Bubenholz School Complex with building layouts and landscape features.
Elevation drawings of a school complex showing building outlines, trees, and landscape elements.
Elevation drawings of a school complex with buildings and trees.
Elevation drawings of a school complex with two main building volumes and surrounding trees.
Elevation drawings of a building with a folded roof and multiple stories, set in a landscaped area with trees.
Site plan of Bubenholz School Complex with building outlines, pathways, and landscaped areas.
Floor plan of a building with a zigzag pattern, featuring multiple rooms and corridors.
Floor plan showing a central corridor with rooms arranged diagonally on either side.
Floor plan of Bubenholz School Complex with rooms and corridors in a diagonal layout.
Floor plan showing a grid-like structure with a central corridor and rooms on either side.
Floor plan of Bubenholz School Complex with rooms in various colors indicating different functions.
Floor plan of a building with multiple rooms and furniture layouts.
Detailed floor plan of a school complex with different sections marked in various colors and labeled with numbers.
Floor plan of a school building with rooms and spaces highlighted in different colors, indicating various functions.
Floor plan of a school building with rooms in different colors, labeled with numbers.
Floor plan showing layout of rooms and corridors in a building.
Floor plan of a building level with various rooms and corridors.
Floor plan showing a gymnasium with a basketball court and surrounding spaces.
Section drawing of a school building with multiple floors and trees in the background.
Section drawing of a building with a folded roof, showing interior spaces and surrounding trees.
Section drawing of a school complex showing building structure and surrounding trees.
Section drawing showing a building with a staircase and open space next to trees.

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