Inspired by the rolling hills of the region, Dybkær School is a dynamic and elegant schoolyard for the town of Gødvad, hosting 800 students and 90 teachers. The complex is situated at the top of Gødvad Hill, a part of the great valley system that encompasses nearby Silkeborg and its many lakes. Vega’s design brings the hills into the schoolyard with a repeating motif of undulating terrain. The terrain works together with a biodiverse planting scheme to create a rich sensory experience for the children while blooming native plants relate the schoolyard to the region’s rich ecology.
The project area is divided into two main sections. The north part of the schoolyard will serve as an important part of the new town center, Gødvad Square, while the south part will be a more open and natural play area. The school building connects directly to the town’s sports hall, and together these two buildings frame the new square and create a natural meeting place. Before the school was built, Gødvad was a very decentralized suburb. The location of the school was chosen to create a more lively center of gravity. The area between the school and the sports hall features a ballfield and other play equipment, benches for sitting and playing – available for both students and the public to use. Input from locals strongly influenced the design of this area, because of its function as a part of the new town square.
On the south side is the schoolyard, with a variety of different spaces linked together by a winding wooden deck called ‘Highway 1’. This area is organized into three different activity zones. Close to the entrances, there are outdoor classroom spaces designed for immersive learning experiences. There are different entrances for each age group of students, and each one is equipped with a broad multipurpose wooden deck that can serve as learning space or as unstructured social space. Parts of the decks are also sheltered from the rain. The school is shoe-free, so the decks also extend the entryways to make it easier to transition from inside to outside.
Next, a little farther out from the building, high energy zones create space for play and socialization, with basketball and football, street games painted onto the asphalt, and swings and play structures on the grass. Steel posts present the opportunity to rig a slackline for balance training. An asphalt track allows students to use scooters, bikes and other wheeled implements.
At the periphery of the schoolyard, children can get away, rest and reflect. A new belt of planting framing the southern edge forms semi-private niches and areas to play in nature. Trees felled during the construction phase are reused into play elements, echoing the natural processes of a forest.
All three zones are connected by “Highway 1”, a long, narrow wooden deck twining through the schoolyard. It functions both as a route that draws students out from the building into the activity zones, and as a play element unto itself. Along most of its length, it is around 1m off the ground. The risk of falling onto the grass sharpens childrens’ balance and coordination skills as they learn to navigate the pathway. At times, Highway 1 transforms into a climbing net, a set of monkey bars, or a bridge to create intriguing new play obstacles. In these places, rubber surfacing prevents injuries, allowing children to develop their motor skills and risk assessment in a safe environment.
The schoolyard also includes several bioswales, which provide opportunities for play and learning as well as habitat for insects. These bioswales will also help retain and filter water in a heavy rain event. Plumbing under these swales allows the school to control whether they are allowed to dry out between rain events, or whether they will retain a small amount of water for wildlife to access.
The schoolyard enables interaction between students of all different ages while supporting childrens’ confidence and learning with diverse planting and a variety of play structures.
• All architecture offices involved in the design:
SWECO, Årstiderne Architects, Autens.
• Other credits you need or wish to write:
Pictures: SWECO, Winther & Trolle, Niels Nygaard
