Open Frame

The proposal for the Mammern School Extension attempts to unify the site’s disparate elements into a cohesive whole. The proposed expansion between the gymnasium and the rectory will replace the older building, integrating the three cubes and the teacher’s space into the rest of the school complex. The extension consolidates the urban fabric along Hauptstrasse, while leaving the outdoor areas south of the school complex to retain a park-like character.

Minimal landscape interventions integrate the outdoor spaces into the school complex. The church’s gardens extend into the school grounds, surrounding the formal playground and providing additional softscapes for play. The hard court moves to the site’s western side, along with a paved extension for gathering and playing that can serve as temporary parking. A covered walkway separates the two zones, linking the school to its outdoor play areas. The playground, gymnasium, and hard court remain accessible after school hours. A new circulation path allows movement within the church grounds and towards the school. A private rectory garden in the northeast corner of the church grounds gives a space for quiet reflection.

The extension’s placement creates a small plaza with three cubes, providing safer access for children. Younger children have access to two enclosed spaces for safe play and study: one in front of the school, stretching out from the newly constructed building, and one in the back, extending into the more extensive softscape play areas. A linear wooden porch connects the new extension to the existing complex, aligning its scale and structural rhythm with the spatial order of the old school. The porch connects the various components of the school complex while maintaining their functional autonomy. It allows the institution to potentially expand.

The existing structures’ height and alignment determine the building’s location on Hauptstrasse’s northeastern corner. A pavilion-like design encourages flexibility and multiple uses for classrooms. Each floor features north-facing classrooms, a distribution foyer, and services linked to the lobby. The cycle-one classroom on the ground floor opens into an enclosed garden, whereas the cycle-two classrooms on the first floor have a view of it. The proposal considers a variety of activities within the classrooms as well as adaptability to future space requirements. Modular CLT systems that use dry construction make the proposed structure lightweight and quick to build.

The proposal therefore aims to upgrade the site’s urban relationship to the context and combine the building into a coherent ensemble by defining movement with smaller interventions inside the site. The aggregation of buildings towards the northern boundary allows for open spaces that the community can enjoy after school hours. The building’s design responds to the existing through scale, proportion, and placement, and to the new pedagogy through flexible space organisation and the nature of spaces.


Mammern school extension (Open Frame) | date : 2024 | location : Mammern, Switzerland | surface : 782 m2 | team : Madhusudhan Chalasani, Jesús Garrido, Bruno Sirabo, Vamsi Krishna, Rohith Therala, Supriya Ambavani, Tanvi Jain, Chanda Patel | client : Community of Mammern | status : competition