A modern and inviting feel all the way up to the ceiling

Special attention was paid to the construction and combination of the individual materials in the new school building in the Swiss town of Cugy, which home to 3,000 people. Acoustic ceilings play a special role in achieving this with their surface finish and the integration of lighting elements and skylights.

In Cugy, one of a total of 18 municipalities in the Broye district in French-speaking Switzerland, a modern new building for around 400 pupils was built in 2021 over an area of around 18,000 square metres on the outskirts of the village under the leadership of the “Atelier Berchier Sàrl” architectural firm. The construction is the municipalities' response to the increasing population, which has resulted in increased need for secondary schools.

Contemporary elegance

Located on a plot on the south bank of Lake Neuenburg with a gentle north-facing slope, the three buildings of the school complex, arranged at different heights, blend harmoniously into the natural environment. The largest building houses the classrooms, which are arranged on three levels and which all face north towards the village. The arrangement naturally ensures that there is no need for solar protection systems and that the lighting conditions in the rooms remain constant. The exterior is characterised by large windows and the grey wooden facade, which give the new building a feeling of contemporary elegance.

Concrete and wood in harmony

Inside, too, the school is modern, transparent and inviting with long, wide corridors, open stairwells, lots of glass and generously sized classrooms and specialist rooms. Walls in exposed concrete harmonise with grey window frames and light floors. Cabinets, internal window frames and furniture made of wood provide a warm and natural contrast to the concrete.

Troldtekt ceiling panels round off the overall design

Particular attention was paid to the ceilings when designing the building. On the one hand, numerous skylights let a lot of daylight into the interior and create sophisticated light effects. On the other hand, Troldtekt acoustic panels with linear patterns are largely used, which round off the overall design concept both in terms of colour and appearance and set design accents with subtly integrated lighting elements. The integrated ventilation elements, on the other hand, are barely noticeable.

The ceiling in the sports hall is particularly sophisticated, where the acoustic panels are interrupted by several pyramid-shaped skylights to create an interesting play of light.