Tochka Budushchego educational complex
Year of realization:2020
Glazed area:3600 m2
Height:11 meters
Tochka Budushchego:
it's more than just a common school
Tochka Budushchego Educational Complex, which was opened in Irkutsk in autumn 2020, is an unparalleled project for Russia. According to the founders' idea, children left without parental care and living in foster families are educated together with peers from ordinary families. That's why the name of the complex is very symbolic: it will become the starting point in adult life for thousands of children. However, despite the fact that the project was realized on private funds, education at school is completely free.
What was the architects' idea?
Built on the area of 20,5 ha, the complex includes 27 buildings designed by CEBRA Danish studio together with UNK Project Russian Bureau. The aim of the project was to create a space where children would live and study in comfortable conditions and where they would feel completely safe. In addition, CEBRA and UNK Project professionals faced the task to make the architecture of buildings, their structure and different types of interconnected spaces a functional component of the learning process and adaptation of children to independent life. So in such a way, on the banks of Angara river a small but very cozy and stylish piece of Scandinavia appeared.
Another interesting trick invented by architects — is a multitime repetitive and easily known even by small children building silhouette with a double-pitch roof. With this decision, the school is perceived as a second home, comfortable and absolutely safe.
According to the architects' idea, the main buildings of the educational complex — a kindergarten, primary and senior schools — are located in a circle and united by one roof of complex shape. Circle in this case became a symbol of a common idea, unity, and a kind atmosphere. At the same time, the courtyard is the conceptual center of the whole complex, its most protected place.
New standard of school
architecture
When you look at the buildings of the educational complex, the abundance of glass surfaces is striking — from the translucent facade to panoramic doors and windows. Total glazed area — is 3.6 thousand sq.m.
The concept of the project implied transfer of maximum sunlight into the premises and expansion of space boundaries. Therefore, systems for balcony glazing occupied the main part of the facades. Moreover, the height of some of them — is 11m. It was possible to implement this solution by increasing the rigidity of the structures with the use of assembled mullions.
For panoramic glazing of the facade, ALUTECH ALT F50 HL aluminium stick-built system was used. The main aesthetic difference of this solution is the absence of wide clamping profiles and decorative caps. Instead, thin, almost unnoticeable from the outside clamping profiles are used that imitate a structural joint. ALT F50 HL system allowed to accurately implement the architects' idea — to create a harmonious space without blank walls, fill classrooms, halls, atriums and amphitheaters of the educational complex with sunlight.
In many countries translucent walls in educational institutions have already become not just a fashion trend but a generally accepted standard that remindes about the transparency and sociability of the world in the age of the Internet.
skylight windows made on the basis of ALUTECH ALT F50 stick-built system are placed on the double-pitch roof.
Window as an allegory
Square windows of various sizes, located at different height levels have also become a distinctive feature of Tochka Budushchego. Such a decision was not chosen by the architects spontaneously: having come to school very young, children gradually grow up, change their views on the world around them, relatively speaking, “grow up” to new windows.
At the same time, according to Alexander Yarofeev, Chief Engineer of DEMETRA, only due to the high strength characteristics of aluminium profiles, it was possible to realize fixed panoramic windows of truly impressive sizes. The size of some — is 2*2 m, the weight of the installed glass units — is 240 kg!
It is interesting that the windows have been implemented not only in the facades of the object, but also on its roof. In particular, 118 skylight windows are placed on the double-pitch roof. Windows made on the basis of ALUTECH ALT F50 stick-built system. This decision helped to significantly increase the natural insolation of the premises.
Multifunctionality and flexibility are the foundation of the modern world, and we have incorporated this into the curriculum of the modern school. We even have different windows, somewhere they are small, somewhere large. Children are immediately taught to live, work, study, interact in complex spaces.
In order to make an impressive glazing area of the premises in Tochka Budushchego complex warm, even in cold Irkutsk winter, when the temperature drops to 30 °C and below, the windows were made of ALT W72 aluminium profiles with thermal break. Polyamide thermal bridge and foamed gaskets significantly improve thermal insulation characteristics of structures. The value of the reduced heat transfer resistance is R0 = more than 0.8 m20 °C/W. At the same time, air-permeability and water tightness of ALUTECH windows meet the most stringent standards for construction of such buildings. As for the facades, despite the impressive glazed area, they also retain heat very well. The value of the reduced heat transfer resistance is R0 = about 1 m20 °C/W.
Another notable feature of the educational complex is panoramic entrance doors integrated into the balcony system on the first floor of buildings. They provide, as well as windows, good insolation and visually expand the space.
Thus, Tochka Budushchego educational complex is a unique case when architecture brings up the best features in a child, helps him to adapt in society and build relationships with peers, in other words, teaches him to design his own life.
It is noteworthy that Tochka Budushchego is not just a school. In addition to educational buildings, there is a cottage settlement with two-story townhouses in which families live with adopted children. The houses, like all other buildings in the complex, look restrained and minimalistic, thus preserving the unity of the architectural style.
In order to preserve the harmonious Scandinavian image of the architectural object, aluminium profiles were painted from the outside in a graphite color, and from the inside - in a walnut color. They are perfectly combined with steel minimalistic columns and wooden panels on the facades. Emphasis on natural textures and soft colors - is a Scandinavian technique for creating cozy and warm interiors in which you want to live.
