TYPE: Competition

CATEGORY: Education - Primary, Gymnasium & High School

LOCATION: Cluj-Napoca, România

SITE AREA: North Plot -10.132 m², South Plot -7.070 m²

BUILT AREA: North Plot -1.660 m², South Plot -2.845 m²

GROSS BUILDING AREA: North Plot -3.690 m², South Plot -6.807 m²

CLIENT: Cluj-Napoca Municipality

ORGANIZER: The Romanian Order of Architects

Partners in charge: Adrian Urda, Vlad Oniga

Main authors: VOUA Arhitectură+Design - Adrian Urda, Vlad Oniga | Carles Tolomeiu

Coauthors: MOD Studio- Andreea Morărescu, Cosmin Morărescu, Alexandra Necula, Rodica Luchian, Sara Gal | Melania Bahnă

Colaborators:

MEP & HVAC Engineering: Instal Utilities

Our school design is intimately connected with the nearby park, with the courtyard serving as a seamless extension of the natural wonder that surrounds it. The courtyard provides a vibrant outdoor learning and play space that draws inspiration from the lush greenery of the park, inviting students and teachers to explore and connect with the natural world. Every element of the courtyard design intends to foster a sense of connection and harmony with nature. As students explore the courtyard, they are surrounded by the sights, sounds, and scents of the park, creating a sense of continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces.

GENERAL ASPECTS

The Gheorgheni district prioritizes functionality in urban design by adhering to the key principles of modernist urbanism from the last century. The whole neighborhood was designed to accommodate the changing needs of modern society at that time. By implementing rules of functionalism, the radiant city, high-rise buildings, standardization, segregation of functions, and the use of new materials, the Gheorgheni district was planned and designed to change the way of life of the modern citizen and the way society sees the city.

Starting from all the above, our architecture and urban design project aims to respect the values of modernist urbanism and at the same time to integrate/correlate new contemporary needs and strategies of the urban society (smart city, sustainable city, walkable city).

The additions to the site follow the same lines as the neighborhood by achieving optimal cardinal orientation.

The distances between buildings were carefully considered to achieve a harmonious balance between the built environment and the natural environment. By doing so we created more open space and provided better access to sunlight and fresh air. This was achieved by designing buildings with a certain height-to-width ratio to allow sunlight to reach the street level and placing buildings at specific angles to each other to minimize shadow and maximize exposure to sunlight.

The existing buildings were treated carefully to conserve the way that they were imagined in the first place. By using minimalist interventions in the access areas and materials with recipes from the last century we preserved the original image of the buildings, but at the same time achieving new standards in matter of energy efficiency (nZEB).

To maintain the character of the existing buildings and ensure a cohesive appearance, we have chosen a non-contrasting architecture and finishes for the new additions. By doing so we highlighted the characteristics of the existing buildings, preserved the hierarchical order, and ensure that the size and scale of the new building match the old one.

Our school design is intimately connected with the nearby park, with the courtyard serving as a seamless extension of the natural wonder that surrounds it. The courtyard provides a vibrant outdoor learning and play space that draws inspiration from the lush greenery of the park, inviting students and teachers to explore and connect with the natural world. Every element of the courtyard design intends to foster a sense of connection and harmony with nature. As students explore the courtyard, they are surrounded by the sights, sounds, and scents of the park, creating a sense of continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces.

SUSTAINABLE CITY IMPLEMENTATION

1. Environmental sustainability integration

- encouraging a green ecosystem by implementing green spaces for urban areas;

- using renewable energy sources by integrating solar panels on existing buildings;

- reducing waste by encouraging the selective gathering of waste through the selection bugs.

2. Social sustainability integration:

- the project aims to promote social equality by making access to education easier through architecture and design. All spaces are accessible for people with motor disabilities.

3. Economic sustainability integration:

- by making certain spaces rentable the project promotes economic growth and stability

WALKABLE CITY IMPLEMENTAION

1. Accessibility integration

- all circulations are redesigned to accommodate pedestrian-friendly streets, safe sidewalks, well-lit and easy to navigate.

2. Connectivity integration

- by redesigning all street profiles the project aims to have a network of connected streets and pathways that provide easy access to key destinations such as schools, shops, and public transportation;

- by achieving a network of well-connected streets the neighborhood becomes connected to the city via alternative transportation.

3. Mixed-use development integration

- the project aims for public space augmentation to act like a binder between the mix of residential, commercial, and educational functions. Ultimately this will encourage residents to walk or bike to work or leisure activities.

SMART CITY IMPLEMENTAION

1. Digital connectivity integration

- the project aims to integrate a reliable and high-speed internet network, accessible from public spaces, which enables access to digital services and information.

2. Sustainability integration

- the project aims to use technology to reduce the environmental impact and promote sustainability.

- all streets are provided with electrical vehicle charging systems, electrical scooter charging systems, and electrical bike charging systems.

- the purposed urban furniture is provided with USB charging ports and solar panels.

3. Data-driven decision-making integration

- by implementing a CCTV public system, all urban spaces are safer for everyone. In doing so, all the data and analytics gathered can be used to inform the decision-making process, including urban planning, resource management, and emergency response.

COST EFFICIENCY

- by having a non-invasive approach to the existing buildings, we maximised the use of resources and spaces. The additions to the site are placed in such way that doesnt affect the structures of the buildings. By doing so we prioritized efficiency and sustainability in our design choises and also we managed to reduce the environmental impact of the project as a whole.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION CONCEPT

The proposed scheme involves three heat agent generators, a heating system, a boiler package, and a heat pump using variable refrigerant flow (VRF). Additionally, there is a package of solar panels on top of the building that can produce up to 103 kWh of electricity per day, for 160 days per year, with an annual electrical production of 214,240.0 kW.

The VRF heat pump system has an average coefficient of performance (COP) of 4, and can produce a thermal power of 848,960 kW. This is equivalent to a heating agent production achieved by burning thermal gases, saving up to 192 tons of CO2.

The system's efficiency is evident during the spring and autumn transition periods, when the heat pump system can achieve COPs of over 5 while the thermal demand decreases. This leads to periods when electricity production is net positive, making the building an active prosumer that meets and exceeds the Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) criterion.

For reference, 1 MW equals 0.227 tons of CO2.