Classroom block Schubart-Gymnasium: Holistic sustainability enhances school

norament^® satura supports the design concept in the zero energy classroom block

Urban design meets sustainability – this concept is not only evident in the learning and teaching that takes place at the Schubart Gymnasium school in Aalen. Designed by Liebel/Architekten BDA and opened in 2019, the new construction of the zero-energy classroom block has received ‘Climate Positive’ certification from DGNB and the German Design Award 2021 and has also been nominated for the German Sustainability Award after several architectural awards, such as the German Federal Prize for Environment and Building. The lightflooded building not only impresses with its purist, minimalist look, but also with an architectural and climate concept based on the active use of existing natural resources. The building generates as much energy as it consumes over the course of the year. The flooring for the new building also needed to be high-quality and sustainable. Architects and users opted for norament^® satura rubber flooring.

With their pale grey tone and attractive hammerblow surface, the square-metre tiles blend perfectly into the minimalist design concept and ideally complement the light grey furniture and wooden chairs. They are also particularly durable and easy to clean. norament^® satura stairtreads in the same colour were installed in the staircase leading from the foyer.

Cost-effective maintenance –low life cycle costs

The new classroom block is a hybrid construction of wood and concrete. Thanks to this design, it was possible to increase the proportion of daylight in the building by more than 50 percent. This is not only pleasant for students and teachers; it also requires less energy for lighting. The floor covering brings additional brightness to the building. “Thanks to its light colour, norament^® satura reflects daylight and thus contributes to significantly better room lighting,” explained project manager Steffen Kainzbauer from Liebel/Architekten BDA. In addition to the attractive design of the rubber floor covering, its robustness and cost-effective maintenance were the deciding factors. “The hammerblow surface is very hard-wearing and easy to maintain, which is also the feedback we always receive from the cleaning service providers of the properties we build,” explained building representative, Tobias Wessely. “The somewhat higher purchase price of norament^® floor coverings pays for itself over the long service life through easy cleaning and the fact that they do not have to be permanently coated.” As Wessely knows from experience, regular recoating, as is sometimes the case with other elastic coverings, often poses problems, especially for larger buildings or rooms with permanent furniture.