18.054
Wilrijk,
Belgium
As part of its development, the Steiner Lohrangrin school in Wilrijk wanted to create 3 additional nursery classes on its site. The school also wanted to develop a multi-purpose space for various school events with children and parents, which took the form of a small “theatre”.
The structural shape is reminiscent of the fingers of two interlocking hands. The shape has been designed to take advantage of the structural efficiency of compression-glued laminated timber arches, manufactured in glulam blocks of 3 x 20 cm pieces. The arches are hinged at their supports and at the ridge. CLT panels rest on the arches to take up the horizontal forces of wind and pressure on the roof void. The roof slopes act as a large diaphragm to take advantage of the stiffness of the façade gables.