Römerstadt School

A modern learning environment has been created at a historic site with the construction of a new school in the Frankfurt settlement of Römerstadt. The school’s award-winning concept is based on the idea of shared learning in mixed-age groups.

The architect’s design has implemented this concept with four nearly identical buildings connected by a foyer that serves as a public square, allowing all areas of the school to communicate with one another and form a community space.

Fast + Epp was tasked with providing structural engineering services, including proof of structural fire protection and static verification of non-load-bearing structures. In addition, Fast + Epp provided several special services.

The three above-ground levels contain classrooms, care rooms, meeting rooms, a large community space, and the school cafeteria.

The building complex is constructed of reinforced concrete with bracing walls made of reinforced concrete and infill made of masonry. The roofs are constructed as pitched roofs in timber construction. The skylight over the forum consists of a lightweight steel structure. The basement is constructed as a WU (white tank) construction, and the façade is designed as a brick façade.

The planning process was delayed by the discovery and excavation of a Roman cult site. The architectural design responded to this by making the site’s special history visible through intarsia in the floor of the ground floor and in the outdoor space.

Fast + Epp’s structural engineers placed special emphasis on a delicate construction, especially in the forum, which extends over all three levels and is where the school community gathers.

Slim reinforced concrete columns provide lightness and permeability. The two-flight stairs are divided by intermediate landings and connected to the floor slabs with sound insulation.

Large windows and the lightweight skylight make the atrium bright. The materiality of the walls references the brick of the exterior facade. Color accents in plastered wall areas bring vibrancy.

The design of the completed building took into account the possibility of adding another story in timber construction at a later date.