HWR

Hollinder Weg in Regesbostel

Design competition for a holistic educational and recreation facility - 1^st prize

Our firm was invited to participate in a design competition for delivery of a project study where we developed and presented an idea and design concept for a school focusing on nutrition, exercise and mental health. Located in the rural north of Lower Saxony on an approximately 2 hectare parcel, the project is the labor of love and late-life project of a construction professional - a place of holistic and lifelong learning. More specifically, the sustainably built project will feature around 2,000 m² in gross floor area housing 40 hotel rooms with kitchenettes, a full kitchen, a cooking school, conference and workshop rooms, event spaces, and room for physical activity.

Our design is not visible from the public roadway; the below-grade structure appears to be a gently rising hill from this angle. It is only from the forest side that the horseshoe-shaped glass facade of the building opens up. The public spaces are located in the middle of the building, whereas the hotel rooms, which have their own terraces, rise two stories to either side and encircle a recessed water feature. The glass facade enables visitors to gaze into nature, while the forest itself remains untouched.

Photos/visualization: HARDEGGER ARCHITECTS GmbH, Hamburg