A NEW CALM FOR BREMNES SCHOOL

THE NEWLY BUILT BREMNES LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL was long overdue when it finally arrived in Bømlo municipality, having replaced a building from 1965 that was in a bad state of repair. The plans for a new lower secondary school began as early as 2000, and plans to renovate the old school and to build a new building were both discussed in the municipality before the decision was made to build a completely new school. The school was situated in an area where there was already a preschool, an upper secondary school and sports facilities.

By spring 2018, the school, covering an area of 5,300 m2, was ready for use by school staff and some 450 pupils. After two terms at the school, staff and pupils are very satisfied with the site. One success factor was that the school administration was an active client throughout the project and produced clear specifications, which made the project simpler and clearer for the other parties involved.
 

The school is built around a hub in the form of an auditorium with a social area as well as a library and dining hall. Surrounding the central part are staff rooms and classrooms, which can be reached via a lounge.

As early as the procurement stage, there were legal requirements regarding acoustics. For classrooms there is a complete standard for reverberation time, for example, which was resolved by using acoustic ceilings for every room.
 

Lounges for pupils

The shared area outside the classrooms is a place for socialising and schoolwork. The dominant style here is softer and more playful, not least in the form of small “huts” (The HUT) by Gotessons. “Our pupils find that there is something incredibly cosy about being able to crawl into a calm environment,” says headteacher Hans Arnevik. The pupils have also really taken to the chairs, fabric-covered Office Ballz from the same supplier. This is clear from the way they are rolled around as different social groups arise. “It’s fun to see how the children organise their own social area with the help of our playful furniture,” says Hans.
 

Staff rooms

Each section has its own area of workstations for teachers, in a modern style with good chairs and height-adjustable tables. All the way along the wall are NIVÅ sound absorbents by A. M. Acoustics, which are also used as personal pinboards by the individual teachers. With their three-dimensional design, Hans finds that the absorbents provide a distinctive feel. The interior design by Hildegunn Senneseth at Rambøll in Bergen has been a real success, according to Hans Arnevik. The softer, more textile-focused style suggested by her works very well in a school.