Based on a clear logic, the educational building designed by Pelletier de Fontenay and SOA architekti is structured around a protected inner world at its heart, a sports area to the east, and traffic and service access points located along the perimeter. Functioning as a "forest cloister," the two-story building integrates naturally into the built environment, while the central courtyard transforms the concept of "a forest within the building" into a green, sheltered landscape for relaxation, play, and learning.
Characterized by a rational structure, the project was conceived as a solid, durable building: the structural system is primarily reinforced concrete, featuring a flexible layout that allows for long-term adaptations. Externally, the larch wood façade ages naturally, developing a patina, and a large portion of the roof is designed as an extensive green roof. By combining sustainability principles—such as the Passivhaus standard, rainwater management, and a photovoltaic system—LOŠBATES aims to embody the 21st-century school: an open institution with a stimulating, welcoming atmosphere and a carefully designed spatial ecosystem.
LOŠBATES Primary School by Pelletier de Fontenay + SOA architekti. Photograph by Alex Shoots Buildings.
Project description by Pelletier de Fontenay and SOA architekti
LOŠBATES Primary School was developed through an international architectural competition as a collaboration between Canadian studio Pelletier de Fontenay and Czech practice SOA architekti, which brings extensive experience in designing educational environments. Conceived first and foremost as a contemporary educational institution, the project supports modern pedagogy through the everyday experience of space rather than declarative principles. Teachers are provided with a well-designed, multifunctional spatial tool for their work, while children gain a place for life—clear, safe, diverse and inspiring.
The school stands at the geographic centre of four municipalities, at the forest line, deliberately outside the historic core of any of the towns. This position allows it to operate as a shared hub for the wider area—a natural destination within a network of walking and cycling connections.
The campus follows a clear logic: a protected inner world at its heart, a sports zone to the east, and traffic and service access kept to the perimeter. The “forest cloister” concept forms a porous ring around a generous courtyard; the building is low, two-storey and horizontally articulated, fitting naturally into the surrounding built context. The central yard transforms the idea of “a forest inside the building” into a protected, green play landscape—an outdoor microclimatic heart for rest, play and learning.
The programme is legible and organised into a shared core with assembly hall, canteen and after-school facilities, the lower school, the upper school and a sports hall—connected by the ring as the school’s main “street”. The building is open to the community yet secure: selected parts can operate independently at defined times. Inside, a variable, open learning landscape offers choice of environments—pivoting walls and acoustic curtains quickly create smaller “pockets” for focused work, teamwork or presentations; the campus also includes a music and arts school and a STEM cluster for experimental, project-based learning. LOŠBATES represents a 21st-century school: an open institution with a welcoming atmosphere and a carefully designed spatial ecosystem.
LOŠBATES Primary School is designed as a robust, long-lasting and sustainable building, with a rational structural concept, high-quality indoor environment and reasonable operating costs. The load-bearing system is primarily reinforced concrete with an open structural layout, enabling long-term flexibility and adaptations without compromising the building’s core. The larch façade naturally weathers and develops a patina, and a large part of the roof area is designed as extensive green roofs.
The building meets the passive standard and is heated by heat pumps. Sustainability is strongly supported by rainwater management, with retention primarily in planted areas, including the green roofs. Excess water is stored and reused for irrigation as well as for toilet flushing and cleaning. A rooftop photovoltaic system is sized mainly for on-site consumption; surplus electricity is preferentially used for domestic hot water and thermal storage, and only then fed into the grid.
