‘Marigold’ School in Ukraine — a competition

The name of the school, the paving and the concept for the school stem from a Ukrainian Folksong. The task was to design a school with a bomb shelter which can be built locally and quickly. We worked with Kateryna Kublytska as a local architect and Foster Structures as structural engineers.

The proposal includes three 58 by 12-meter buildings (the same as traditional Ukrainian housing block dimensions) connected by two atriums and a central dining area underneath the middle one. The atriums and public spaces form the design concept, linking the school to its surroundings and creating three axes of social activity.

All atriums are paved with patterns, semi green, extending to link the school to the neighbourhood, using an embroidery and fabric metaphor. The marigold-inspired pavement symbolises community unity, creating a fun and safe space. The atriums allow views through the school and into the community, enhancing accessibility.

The four-story block flanking the atrium houses the senior school, while the lower block under the grass roof contains the junior school. The central four-story block has shared facilities on the lower two floors and classrooms on the top two. The senior school entrance is perpendicular to the atrium. There is a service entrance near the cafeteria. The junior school entrance is through a smaller lobby on the opposite side.

The gymnasium, a separate building with gym halls on the lower floors and a dormitory on top, that looks out over a grass roof. The football pitch is behind the sports building. This configuration is consistent across all sites, with the landscape adapted to the different situations.

The lobby and road between the gymnasium and main school building connect the atriums to the community, forming the school’s access. Atrium paving extends into the community, emphasising the role of the school. The atriums provide access to classes, the sports hall, and vertical circulation. The structural grid system allows flexible wall placement. The integrated shelter serves as a lounge and media centre. Parts of the school can be closed off on weekends for theatre use, with classes and schools opening independently

Entrance

Theatre

Entrance Junior school

All stairs end in the shelter below the building

The Marigold Pavement stretches across the boundary line, reaching out into the community.

The with of the blocks are those of traditional housing blocks and the roofs in between are green roofs with sky light. This way they will look as regular housing blocks from the sky and will hopefully be less likely to be bombed.

The structure is such that only one beam at the time will collapse in case of a drone attack.