Grundschule Wandlitz, located in the scenic town of Wandlitz in Brandenburg, Germany, is undergoing a €19.7 million expansion designed to support modern educational needs while incorporating lower carbon construction methods. The project is being carried out by our trusted partner MAX Holzbau.

Learning in layers

Designed to meet the needs of over 500 pupils, the new three-storey extension will replace temporary classrooms with a permanent, future-ready learning environment. The extension is being built on the south-western side of the existing school, along the south-eastern boundary of the property, parallel to the street An der Sporthalle.

The design introduces three new “learning houses” or clusters, each comprising four classrooms, differentiation spaces, and after-school care rooms grouped around a central common area. This spatial concept supports contemporary, student-centred learning.

Overall, there will be 23 new classrooms and ancillary rooms, an administration area, and a large dining room with a canteen kitchen.

The extension is being built using prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) elements—Sylva CLT Walls and Floors, Stairs by Stora Enso—bringing the warmth and performance of mass timber to the heart of the school.

The project targets compliance with Germany’s Sustainable Building Assessment System (BNB). The design includes green roofs, a photovoltaic system, and rainwater management measures. The timber-based structure uses materials that can store biogenic carbon. Plans for the schoolyard include outdoor learning and play areas.

"The project is designed to optimise material use through a simple and repetitive construction approach intended to support efficient delivery and enable participation by local tradespeople. The design team selected materials based on criteria including durability, service life, and project-specific environmental considerations.

“Taking economic, environmental, and construction process-related criteria into account, we decided to use timber construction,” said Harald Weber (Dipl.-Ing. Architect), AV1."

Precision Meets Purpose

Thanks to the use of prefabricated Sylva™ elements by Stora Enso, the project benefits from rapid assembly, reduced site disruption, and high-quality finishes. In particular, the application of 3,076.57 square meters of Sylva CLT Rib Floors that were delivered as full components played a crucial role in the speed of construction.

From a mechanical perspective, rib panels are categorised as rigid composite members. Unlike traditional mechanically-jointed composite members, which rely on connectors and their slip modulus, Sylva Rib elements achieve full composite action through structural gluing with an adhesive approved for load-bearing applications, resulting in a much stiffer and more efficient cross-section.

High Standards

BNB & QNG Certification Goals: The project is aiming for BNB Silver certification (Teaching Building, Version 2017) and QNG-Plus level under the German Sustainable Building Quality Seal. This includes strict requirements for greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable construction practices.

A Foundation for Generations

At the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone, Mayor Oliver Borchert captured the spirit of the project: “This place of learning will meet all the requirements to give many generations of students the urgently needed space.”

About the Architects

AV1 Architekten GmbH is a German architecture firm founded in 1992, headquartered in Kaiserslautern, known for its innovative and context-sensitive designs across cultural, educational, and residential projects.

AV1’s project design was selected from a total of 41 designs for the school extension. The jury—comprising representatives of the municipality, the Brandenburg Chamber of Architects, and the urban redevelopment company "ews"—was most impressed by the design from the Berlin office of AV1 Architekten. The jury recommended that the municipality commission the office with the further planning of the school building.

As Wandlitz town hall spokeswoman Elisabeth Schulte-Kuhnt reported, the winning design convinced the jury with "the most convincing urban planning solution, which reorganizes the existing structure and has the greatest potential for the open spaces." 

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