New school building on the Plateau de Diesse, Prêles

2023

Between 2021 and 2023, a new school building made entirely of wood was constructed in Prêles. Swiss timber from the municipality was used by means of in-house procurement, Timbatec was responsible for the timber construction engineering work and building physics.

The project

The new school building is located on the plateau of the village of Prêles, where a natural ice rink used to form during prolonged and severe cold spells. Ideally positioned on a hill, the building offers a marvellous view of the natural surroundings of the village and the recreational areas of the region. The decision to use local timber for the construction was present from the very first project meetings and exchange discussions. The experience of the Timbatec office then proved to be a great advantage in the development of the project. Currently, 1'159 tons of CO₂ are stored in the structure of the new building, which comprises a total of around 2'800 m² of school, extracurricular and office space.

The construction method

The structure is designed according to a post-and-beam principle. The load-bearing elements are made entirely of timber, including the cores of the vertical circulation, which are made of encapsulated CLT panels. A wood/wood ribbed ceiling, supplemented by a weighting layer that allows partial integration of the building services, offers a fast execution and perfectly fulfils the sound insulation requirements.

The challenge

The successful integration of local timber into the construction was of great importance for the realisation of the project. A timber quality test with representative samples of the specimens found in the selected forest allowed conclusions to be drawn about the existing qualities for the realisation of the project.