Opening of element-i Bildungshaus in Karlsruhe

With a celebration for young and old, the first element-i educational building in Karlsruhe was opened on September 20, 2019 after a construction period of around 18 months. From the current school year onwards, children from 0 years of age until school-leaving age will be cared for on almost 7,000 m² under one common roof.

The sponsor of the education house is the firm Konzept-e in Stuttgart, which already is looking after more than 40 children's homes, primary schools and technical schools. In his opening speech, Lord Mayor Dr. Frank Mentrup emphasized the exemplary character of the comprehensive school concept now being offered.

The childcare and school building, which was designed by Olaf Hübner of plus+ Bauplanung, presents a number of special design features. The area extending over three "learning houses", integrates both childcare and classrooms with an open learning concept, as well as space for events, breaktime and playgrounds.

Besides the ingeniously interlocking ground plan of the building's supporting framework, it was the storey-high rope net safety barrier on the escape balconies, made of prefabricated reinforced concrete elements, that has presented the engineers at KREBS+KIEFER with special challenges. The stainless steel rope nets give an additional transparency and lightness to the warm beige tones of the building body. At the same time, they provide a safe environment for the children.

KREBS+KIEFER was entrusted with the structural design of the building's supporting framework, the steel construction elements, the rope net safety barrier and also the preventive fire protection.