Volksschule Andelsbuch by LandRise

Built in 2024 / 2025 Built Landscapes / 2025 Entries / 2025 Schools and Playgrounds / Austria /
landrise.at/de

Andelsbuch Primary School
A place that connects – through play, daily life, and community – children, neighbors & village life

The redesign of the school’s outdoor areas has successfully created a connecting axis for movement and social interaction within the village. The open space design also includes the kindergarten’s outdoor area. The fountain square in the northwest has enhanced the Bregenzerwald cycling route. To the south, the design integrates the immediate surroundings of the church. The aim was to develop a meeting zone for all generations – a place for coming together at the school, as a community within the village and the wider region.

The paved forecourt south of the school forms the centerpiece. Located above the gym, it offers impressive views. Generous seating and balancing elements invite people to rest and play throughout the year, with a linden tree marking this special place. A space has been created that works equally well for school breaks and village festivals. The forecourt opens westward toward the so-called “tree square” with a water table, shade tree, and curved benches – a multifunctional area for recess, outdoor learning, or simply as part of a village walking path. The children’s piazza connects the school building with all surrounding play and learning spaces – from the play meadow and the construction playground to the “nature lab,” where children can build and experiment.

A variety of play zones are open not only to schoolchildren but also to the wider village community outside school hours. In addition to a car-free play street and a large play meadow, there are balancing and climbing features as well as a naturally designed sand area. Children experience nature in the woodland edge, in the wet zone with tall herbaceous plants, in the lab area with a weather station, and on the large flowering gravel lawn, which also functions as a parking area. These spaces promote biodiversity and encourage people of all ages to engage playfully with their environment.

The main paths and plazas were constructed using light-colored asphalt and water-bound Jura gravel. Raised beds, seating furniture, and edging are made from durable materials such as steel, precast concrete, and weather-resistant wood. The play equipment is made mostly from natural wood. The material concept is aimed at durability, functionality, and aesthetic integration into the surrounding cultural landscape.

Only site-appropriate, ecologically valuable plants were used. Shrubs and trees provide food and habitat for birds and insects. Grass-perennial mixes were planted in shaded areas. Extensive meadows with high biodiversity stretch across the church square, the nature lab, the construction playground, and the areas along the bike path. The new open space around the school is more than just a schoolyard – it is a new green village center. Through nature-based design, high-quality materials, and diverse uses, a forward-looking place for education, movement, and community has been created.

“The goal was to create a variety of spatial experiences – for the children and for the entire village.” – DI Maria Anna Schneider-Moosbrugger | Landscape Architect, Land Rise

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:
DI Maria Anna Schneider-Moosbrugger | Studio Land Rise

• All architecture offices involved in the design:
stöckler gruber architekten

• Other credits:
Foto Credits: Petra Rainer