Horten upper secondary school won the international sustainable BREEAM Awards 2019 for best public sector building at the design stage. The project is referred to as an example of a future-oriented learning environment and is Norway’s most modern and highest environmentally classified education building. The building is innovative and avantgarde in terms of environmental solutions will generate more energy than it consumes.

The school is located in the city park Lystlunden in the center of Horten and is designed for 1200 students and 200 employees. The school opened in August 2019.

The project set high ambitions in terms of architectural quality, handling of logistics, environmentally friendly solutions and encouraging next generation pedagogy. In May 2019, the project received certification confirming that it is the first school building in Norway to achieve the BREEAM Outstanding certification level for design in the planning phase. The school adopts passive house standards, makes extensive use of wood and is intended to be energy positive. During the official BREEAM Awards ceremony, the jury emphasized the projects innovative design and potential for ripple effects beyond the building itself.

The achievement of BREEAM Outstanding will pave the way for further innovation in energy efficient buildings in Norway.

The material palette is based on sustainable materials. Wood was used extensively in the building, both externally and internally. The floor slabs and stairs are made from massive wood, the façade cladding is made from wood as well as the acoustic elements in the atrium.

The school grounds are idyllically located in the city park Lystlunden, which also contains sports, culture and adventure facilities. LINKs solution was to preserve as much of the park area as possible and develop the building in the least attractive area. The building consists of four floors plus one floor below ground and technical rooms on the roof, a solution that addressed challenges with logistics, long walking distances and accessibility.

LINK architecture has worked in close, interdisciplinary contact with energy and environmental consultants to achieve the goal of an energy efficient plus house with a minimum 40% reduction of greenhouse gases compared to the reference building.

“It’s a real pleasure to highlight and applaud the ‘best of the best’ buildings across the globe,” comments Dr. Shamir Ghumra, BREEAM Director at BRE. “They reflect an exceptional commitment to sustainable construction in a variety of ways and epitomise the value that BREEAM certification brings to projects at all stages of a building’s lifecycle.