Nestled on a pristine forest clearing at the edge of the Neviges district, in an optimal hillside setting, stands the most contemporary school building in Velbert's educational landscape: the comprehensive school "Am Waldschlösschen" provides a forward-thinking learning environment with expansive views across verdant woodland. Designed and executed by Düsseldorf-based architecture firm RKW Architektur +, the project was completed in record time. Through optimized workflows utilizing BIM building information modeling, prefabricated system components, and tightly coordinated partnerships, the team adhered to both schedule and budget constraints. Following just nine months of intensive planning, a three-month approval process, and an 18-month construction period, the building complex was delivered to the school community as scheduled in summer 2025.

The new facility accommodates approximately 1,400 students across its six-stream comprehensive school program, spanning 20,350 m² of gross floor area plus an additional 2,800 m² in an adjoining triple-gymnasium. Conceived as a cluster school, the design strengthens community bonds while simultaneously promoting independent learning. The building volumes are oriented along a north-south axis, ensuring all classrooms and course rooms achieve optimal exposure to the east and west. Julia Koch, team lead at RKW Architektur +, explains: "Thanks to our orthogonal structural approach, we've created efficient circulation paths, maintained economic and spatial flexibility, and established communication and gathering spaces flooded with natural daylight that frame the woodland landscape and foster a sense of well-being." The clearly articulated ensemble deliberately distinguishes itself from the surrounding natural forest environment, forming a distinctive comb-like structure comprising a three-story western wing, a four-story eastern wing, and a two-story, staggered central section. The transparent connecting structure between these wings, with its dual internal and external staircases, serves as the school's vibrant public heart—housing the marketplace, auditorium, dining hall with bistro, all-day program areas, and library distributed across the ground floor and two upper levels. The educational philosophy manifests spatially through six open learning clusters, where instruction, contemplation, and exchange flow seamlessly into one another. Amenities include digital classrooms, state-of-the-art facilities for music, engineering, and computer science, plus a fully accessible home economics area with wheelchair-adapted kitchen islands. A fresh-cook kitchen on-site prepares nutritious meals daily. Energetically, the building excels through a ground-source heat pump system and photovoltaic panels integrated into the green roofs.

www.rkw.plus

Photography:
Michael Reisch
www.michaelreisch.net

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 01|26)