Tag: Kantonsschule

  • Work begins on extension to Baden cantonal school

    Work begins on extension to Baden cantonal school

    Preparations for the extension of the Baden cantonal school have begun with clearing work on the construction site. According to a press release from the Canton of Aargau, this preparatory work will be carried out during the sports holidays from 3 to 14 February. This involves removing shrubbery and felling trees in the Schönaustrasse area in Baden. This work must be carried out before construction work on the extension begins in July 2025.

    The early start is necessary because the tree felling must be carried out outside the bird breeding season from the beginning of March to the end of September. New trees will be planted across the entire site once the extension has been completed. According to the press release, this will once again take greater account of biodiversity on the grounds of Baden Cantonal School.

    The building permit for the extension to the cantonal school has been valid since the end of October 2024. The extension will include an additional wing for maths, IT, natural sciences and technology (STEM subjects) and a sports wing including a double sports hall.

    In addition, the outdoor facilities and sports pitches will be redesigned. The planned extension represents the final expansion of the site based on the current school planning, according to the canton’s press release.

  • Sargans Cantonal School is being renovated for 50 million francs

    Sargans Cantonal School is being renovated for 50 million francs

    The Sargans canton school has been in operation in its existing form for over 50 years and is in need of renovation. It can no longer meet today's structural requirements in terms of earthquake security, building technology and insulation. There is also a lack of around 1900 square meters of school, preparation and group rooms that ensure modern teaching in the long term. In addition, central facilities such as the cafeteria are too small and there are only a small number of student and teacher workplaces.

    The plan is to demolish the west and south wings dating from 1963 and 1969. They will be replaced by contemporary new buildings. L-shaped extensions are to be built, which together with the east and north wings form a rectangular structure. At the center is an identity-creating courtyard.

    The new west wing will house the cafeteria with outdoor seating, a kitchen, foyer, auditorium and some classrooms. In the new south wing there is space for additional class, subject and group rooms as well as rooms for administration and teaching staff. In the east and north tracts, there are mainly renovations with regard to earthquake security. Continuous access corridors on the upper floors ensure short connecting routes with common areas.

    A loan of CHF 49.9 million was granted for the project. Of this, 3 million are for the existing buildings and 46.9 million for the new buildings. Construction work is scheduled to begin in summer 2023 and will last three years. School operations in the east and north wing will continue – temporary arrangements will be built for the south and west wing.

    The St. Gallen electorate approved the building project in 2014. A total of 17 objections were received in 2018. These were rejected by the municipality of Sargans, but a resident filed an appeal against the decision with the Department of Economic Affairs. This also rejected the objection, whereupon the recurrent filed the complaint before the federal court. In May 2021, the latter also rejected the complaint in the last instance. Now nothing stands in the way of the planned renovation and expansion of the canton school.

  • Complete renovation of the Olten Cantonal School

    Complete renovation of the Olten Cantonal School

    Work at the canton school in Olten has been going on for five years. Around 1000 pupils are taught at the school, which was completed in 1973 by the architects Marc Funk and Hans-Ulrich Fuhrimann. Construction work is ongoing in parallel. The architectural office Batimo AG Architekten SIA from Olten, which specializes in renovation strategies and has already renovated numerous school buildings, was commissioned.

    "In order not to impair school operations too much, we have postponed the most noisy work to the school holidays according to specifications and in consultation with the school management," explains Dario Pagliari – he is responsible for construction management on the part of Batimo AG. The overall renovation includes a complete renovation of the building services and the facade, slight floor plan adjustments, the elimination of technical defects and an adjustment to the current standard in terms of fire protection, earthquake safety and energy efficiency.

    Great attention is then also paid to improved energy efficiency: the modified building envelope, an optimized, natural ventilation concept as well as a geothermal heat pump system and the installation of a solar system reduce the energy consumption of the buildings by around 67 percent. The annual CO2 emissions are reduced by 732 tons, which translates into annual energy cost savings of around 200,000 francs.

    The work was divided into different stages: "Right at the beginning we replaced the windows and carried out the insulation work both inside and on the flat roofs," explains Pagliari. The work on the indoor swimming pool, the cafeteria, the auditorium as well as the workrooms and gyms have already been completed. The premises are currently being adapted to the changing needs of school operations, as the site manager explains. A floor can be renovated in a three-month stage. The pupils of the corresponding classes are meanwhile being taught in the specially built temporary school facility with eight classrooms. There are a total of two school wings with ten and five floors each.

    The last stage will include work on the surrounding area as well as the renovation of the sports fields and underground car park. Once all the work has been completed, the Olten Cantonal School should be fit for another 40 years of operation at its special location in the elevated forest area not far from the train station.