SANDY is the new school building that extends and reimagines the “im Sand” school campus in Visp, originally designed by Paul Morisod and Edouard Furrer in the 1960s. It transforms the fractured layout of the existing brutalist ensemble into a cohesive sequence of learning landscapes that enable new pedagogical concepts while integrating with the natural life cycles of its environmental “neighbors”.
The project proposes to open up the existing multi-purpose hall between the school courtyard and the Visper River to create a direct connection to the northern lawn, while to the east, a new compact school building frames and completes the cascading courtyard sequence. At the heart of the campus lies the Grove of the Future – an ecological space that allows rainwater infiltration and the growth of pioneer vegetations. Sealed soil across the campus will be transformed into a mosaic of diverse natural spaces, providing a dynamic learning landscape that weaves together ecological and educational functions.
The new school building is a timber-concrete hybrid structure that accommodates a primary school, a kindergarten, a communal canteen / auditorium and a double sports hall. To minimize excavation and reduce its environmental footprint, the sports hall is positioned above ground, crowning the school building. Inside, a central flexible learning landscape, flanked by classrooms, extends outdoors with a biotope tower and a winter garden. An elevated arcade allows the children to move freely between indoor and outdoor learning landscapes, creating a kind of open-air environment that enriches the educational experience. After all, it’s never too late to get the hands sandy.
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Open Competition, Visp, 2024, 1. Prize
Architecture: dorsa + 820
Landscape: studio erde
Structure: Davide Tanadini, Dr. Neven Kostic GmbH
MEP: Amstein + Walthert AG
