Regulating Educational Spaces

Austria is a federal state with an education system jointly managed by the national government, state govern­ments, and municipalities. What strategies and programs do these various levels pursue—and with what instruments? Discussing these questions are Peter Dietl (Ministry of Education), Wolfgang Gleissner (former managing director of BIG, the Austrian federal real estate company), Herwig Kroat (City of Vienna), Monika Steurer (Directorate of Education, Vorarlberg), Much Untertrifaller (architecture), and Gerhard Wastian (Department of Building Construction, Tyrol).

Moderated by: Christian Kühn

Christian Kühn Let’s start at the level of federal schools. Mr. Dietl, how does the federal government approach the strategic planning of its school facilities? 

Peter Dietl The Federal School Development Program (SCHEP) has been in place since 1971, and sets goals with a ten-year horizon. In the 1970s, for instance, one of the main objectives was to ensure that it was possible to reach a secondary school leading to the Matura (Austrian high school diploma) within 45 minutes by public transport or 30 minutes by car, from anywhere in Austria. This triggered a boom in school construction that lasted into the 1980s, which is why renovation plays such a great role today. The current SCHEP 2020 covers a ten‑year time period and has a total volume of 2.4 billion euros, distributed across 250 projects. This is a considerable increase from the previous period’s 1.7 billion euros.

CK Mr. Gleissner, you served from 2006 to 2024 as chairman of BIG, which is primarily responsible for implementing school construction projects on the federal level in Austria. During that time period, where did you see the greatest changes? 

Wolfgang Gleissner Strategically, BIG aligns itself with the aforementioned school development program by the Ministry of Education. One significant change has been the integration of new pedagogical concepts such as cluster or department systems, which combine working in groups and focused learning. Equally important is sustainability—moving away from oil and gas towards energy autonomy. Quality of space is also a major priority: natural light, good air, acoustics, and indoor climate. It’s about creating spaces of well-being and serving as role models for young people.

CK That describes very well the priorities at the level of individual buildings. Has it also been possible to combine schools from several school authorities at one location, perhaps in order to create the infrastructure for a shared school for 6- to 14‑year‑olds? 

WG That wasn’t our mandate. In Vienna’s Seestadt district, where a municipal kinder­garten and primary school are located directly beside a long-form academic secondary school, efforts were made at the start of the project to develop the site jointly in a moderated process. At that time, the plan was for a primary school and a middle school run by the city, and only one upper secondary school run by the federal government. Some promising first steps toward collaboration were indeed taken, but after the clients decided to proceed with today’s school typologies, the joint process had to be abandoned due to time constraints.

PD You don’t necessarily gain anything just because two different school authorities cooperate at the same location. If the institutions are large, it can actually lead to inefficiency and friction. I see the real value of cooperation in smaller units that pool their resources and operate jointly to make optimal use of school spaces. 

CK Still, the chain-link fence in Aspern between the green spaces of the federal secondary school and the neighboring municipal primary school is nevertheless legendary. 

WG Fortunately, it’s just a fence and not a wall. But what we need is the opposite: Schools should be better integrated into society—for example, through the shared use of sports facilities, libraries, and event spaces.

PD Ideally, this would lead to more diverse educational landscapes. A good example can be found in Deutschlandsberg, where several types of schools—an academic secondary school (AHS), a vocational college (HAK), a higher vocational school for business and tourism (HLW), and a higher technical college (HTL)—are housed in one building. Following a successful participatory process supported by BIG, shared spaces for joint use are now being developed there. But of course, that’s under the same school authority. 

CK Ms. Steurer, what is Vorarlberg’s stance on a unified school for 6- to 14‑year‑olds? 

Monika Steurer In the 10- to 14‑year‑old age group, we currently don’t have the necessary agreement of teachers and parents. Never­the­less, we are committed to campus systems that bring together kindergartens, primary schools, and middle schools. All new schools are required to have an underlying pedagogical concept that supports flexibility and sustai­na­bility. A good example is Hittisau: a new school campus built entirely of local timber from the Bregenzer forest. It cost around 40 million euros for both the primary and middle school. Ninety-nine percent of the children continue on to the middle school, and only one percent go on to attend an academic secondary school. The community is in support of the project despite the high cost. Of course it’s a financial challenge for five villages, but because the public was involved, there’s strong local backing.

Much Untertrifaller There’s definitely competition among municipalities to attract residents with the most appealing schools—and within districts, a lot of address changing so families can enroll their children in the “right” school district. 

CK In 2023, the Vorarlberg state government even set the goal of becoming “the most opportunity-filled living space for children” by 2035. Apparently, education has a particularly high status in Vorarlberg. 

Gerhard Wastian In Tyrol, the most recent phase of innovation in school construction dates back to 1997, when the Federal Procurement Act was introduced and began subsidizing architecture competitions. More recently, participatory processes involving local communities, teachers, students, and parents have been on the rise. The results—such as the school campuses in Neustift and Lienz—are impressive. Building on this, we’ve developed school construction guidelines [→ 1] in Tyrol to help municipalities plan and implement future school projects.

CK What has changed in Vienna in the last 20 years? 

Herwig Kroat We started the Vienna Campus Model in 2009, bringing together kindergartens, primary schools, and middle schools under one roof. Since 2012, music schools and youth centers have also been integrated into the educational campus structure. The basis for the Vienna campus model is all-day inclusive education for children and youth aged zero to 16 with modern, cluster-based spatial and pedagogical concepts. Another key feature is the multiple use of campus facilities, not only among the various educational institutions but also by the wider community. 

CK Are cluster-based concepts also used in renovation projects? 

HK Yes, even in the renovation and expansion of educational buildings, modern pedagogical concepts have been the foundation of planning for many years. Of course, existing structures always have certain limitations, but our goal is to implement contemporary spatial and pedagogical concepts in all Viennese schools wherever possible. 

WG BIG consistently ensures that the spatial structure of existing buildings is adapted to current requirements, minimizing differences between new and existing buildings. 

CK How have school building guidelines changed over the past 10 to 15 years? 

PD The federal government itself doesn’t issue building guidelines for schools, it cooperates with the Austrian Institute for School and Sports Facilities (ÖISS), which was founded in 1964 and is jointly financed by the federal and state governments. The ÖISS serves as our central hub for knowledge exchange on educational building design and also develops recommendations—some of them technical, and others about learning environments or outdoor spaces. These recommen­dations can be integrated into architecture competitions as part of the tender requirements.

GW In the Tyrolean school building guidelines I mentioned before, participatory processes in planning are a key principle. The guidelines promote flexible spaces and recognize that school corridor spaces have evolved into “marketplaces” that can also be used for teaching and should therefore be funded. For existing buildings, financial support is significantly greater when they are adapted and evolved instead of being demolished. 

CK How can regulations for existing buildings be relaxed without compromising accessibility? 

WG The way standards are interpreted needs to be reconsidered. Suddenly, buildings that have functioned well for decades are being declared unsuitable for use. Beyond that, teachers also need support to implement new concepts like open learning successfully. 

CK Shouldn’t this be taken into account every time the school director changes? 

HK Yes, it’s essential to find the right leaders for educational buildings that are designed with modern spatial and pedagogical concepts, leaders who embrace these concepts and bring them to life. We have introduced campus administrators to provide support.

MS In Vorarlberg, we have very streamlined school building regulations. The process of building new always requires a pedagogical concept. We also place great emphasis on finding the right school directors to successfully implement innovative concepts. 

CK What international influences have you incorporated into school architecture? 

MS We maintain strong networks with Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, focusing equally on pedagogy and architecture. Vorarlberg is often admired for its school buildings, because we invest a lot in the architecture. 

GW For one EU competition we collaborated with Peter Märkli, who was among the first to integrate the cluster school concept—for example, in model schools such as Viktor Hufnagl’s Federal School Center in Wörgl. Ursula Spannberger and the fasch&fuchs architecture firm have also contributed very innovative ideas to the evolution of school building design. 

PD An important milestone was the charter of the schulUMbau platform from 2010, in the development of which I was involved. The charter emerged “from the bottom up,” supported by stakeholders from various fields, including education, architecture, and admin­is­tration. It articulated principles that were specific enough to be applied in actual planning while remaining broad enough to allow for a wide range of solutions. It has since been successfully used as a guiding framework for architecture competitions.

MU My firm designs many schools in France, where, in terms of the spatial program, we often feel transported back to the 1980s, when traditional corridor schools with no shared spaces were still the norm. There, new ideas often have to be introduced almost subversively. The resistance there is mainly from principals and teachers, many of whom, for example, reject any form of transparency. Germany, in this respect, is on par with us.

CK Mr. Kroat, the evolution of Vienna’s schools began with Grete Laska and the idea of a standardized school type that would fit any situation.

HK Things have rapidly evolved since then. Today, we’re in a dynamic process that began with the Sonnwendviertel Campus of Education, where a quality catalogue was developed as a basis for the architecture competition for the first time. We see school building design as a continuous cycle of optimization. 

WG Diversity and openness to new ideas are crucial. We shouldn’t rely on a single model. It’s important to regularly review and develop our ideas about school architecture. 

MU As planners, we try to do exactly that with every competition. Reference projects are, of course, helpful when you’re trying to convince clients. Ultimately, it always comes down to the openness of the people involved.

MS We regularly reflect on how our most recent buildings are performing. In our full-day schools, we continuously monitor spatial quality and make adjustments when necessary. Even in more traditional schools, you can achieve a lot if you think creatively.

GW For quality assurance, we’re experimenting with innovative approaches, such as the new low-tech ventilation system at a school in Hall. We’re currently evaluating how it performs in practice.

CK Vienna recently conducted an evaluation of its campus sites. 

HK Quality assurance begins with the intensive preparation and planning process that all our school building projects undergo. We learn from every project, and the insights gained are continuously incorporated into our standards. 

WG For around 15 years, BIG has maintained an architectural advisory board—a rotating panel of architects who oversee competition tenders, serve as jurors, and are also available throughout the planning process. Generally speaking, what works very well for one school and one organization may not necessarily be ideal for another. There has to be a certain diversity and flexibility of approaches. It’s a bit like tailoring a suit—whether you have one custom-made, fitted perfectly, or buy one off the rack. With a custom suit, you need to go back to the tailor if you gain a few kilos, but an off-the-rack version should still fit.

CK What are the biggest challenges for educational building in the coming years? Energy and sustai­na­bility will certainly play a major role—but what else?

WG A major challenge is how to sustainably guide existing buildings into the future, as they embody a great deal of grey energy. Another is the interconnection of different school types and the multifunctional use of rooms and buildings. Further, we must strengthen the integration of schools—both in terms of the physical buildings and the institutions themselves—into society, as well as build collaboration with parents. 

GW The biggest challenges are financial. Budgets for maintenance are being cut, which can lead to problems in the upkeep of the building fabric. It’s crucial that we think long-term and in terms of life-cycle costs. 

MS It’s absolutely essential to use available funds wisely. Every municipality wants to build an even more impressive school—but there are limits. Investing more money doesn’t necessarily mean achieving greater usability. 

MU I fully agree. In Vorarlberg, there’s sometimes a kind of mannerism at play that’s no longer fitting. And yes, the future lies in working with existing buildings, although I believe, in most cases, that additions will still be necessary.

CK How are pedagogical requirements shaping new building typologies, for example, in terms of inclusion?

MS The spatial and educational concepts are very flexible. It’s about creating spaces that meet the needs of all children, such as providing retreat areas or improving acoustics to ensure a good learning environment. And once again: We have to make sure that costs don’t spiral out of control. 

HK The biggest task in Vienna is simply to create urgently needed educational space in the compulsory education sector and to renovate existing educational buildings adequately and in line with current standards. 

CK Some of the necessary capacity could, at least in part, be achieved through better cooperation between the states of Vienna and Lower Austria. In Vienna, classrooms are overflowing, while just beyond the city limits, there is space available.

HK We have tried to initiate student coordination across state borders, but unfortunately haven’t been successful so far. 

CK One final question that relates in particular to the financing of schools: What’s your position on PPP (public private partnerships)? 

WG It’s not just about financing. Public-private partnerships are a good approach to ensuring the long-term operation and regular optimization of buildings. Today, buildings are more like machines than just envelopes. They also need the expertise to properly operate the “machine” and to carry out maintenance. BIG offers all of this. 

MU As an architect, I have a different viewpoint. First, over the full term, PPP is the more expensive option, even if it helps to meet Maastricht criteria in the short term. Second, the design architects are often pushed out of the planning process and replaced by cheaper planners who can’t give pushback to the general contractor. Naturally, the contractor always seeks the most economically advantageous solution for themselves, and that can become problematic.

HK We have now had very good experiences with PPP models in 11 different school buildings currently in operation. Of course, compliance with Maastricht criteria is an important reason for choosing this model, but it also has many strengths in terms of maintenance, upkeep, and facility management. The city could also provide these services itself, but for such large educational buildings it’s far more efficient to have an on-site facility management company that operates the highly complex technical systems. The PPP contractor not only ensures quality of use but also the building main­tenance. This allows us to take them on after 25 years of operation in excellent condition.