Competitions

Architectural solution for the Tartu Waldorf Centre by the end of 2012

20.06.2012

On June 20, the Tartu Free Waldorf School Association declared an international architectural design contest, the results of which would be anticipated in December 2012 at the latest. The goal of the competition is to find an architectural solution for the Tartu Waldorf Centre, which would create an integrated and inspiring environment for the learners, employees and visitors of the centre.  

“We look forward to the abundant participation by architects from Estonia and other countries. Since wholeness is essential in Waldorf pedagogy both from the view of its substance and form, we seek a solution for building the Waldorf Centre, which would achieve an organic whole” said Katri Tammekand, project manager for Establishing the Tartu Waldorf Centre. She added: “Children, their parents and teachers who have eagerly waited for the new house, can rejoice today all the more. It was decided a day before declaring the design competition that the Environmental Investment Centre would finance the project of the City of Tartu that intends to demolish the former military buildings on the plot and surroundings of the future Waldorf Centre. The old makes room for the new.”

Kindergarten, primary school, upper school, hobby school and adult training centre will operate under one roof in the Waldorf Centre. Current plans foresee a possibility to develop afterwards a comprehensive social centre where elderly people and families with children could live alongside. The initiators and coordinators of the establishment of the Centre are the parents and teachers of Tartu Waldorf School and pre-school childcare Meie Mängurühm, managed by the Tartu Free Waldorf School Association.

As a non-profit association, the Tartu Free Waldorf School Association has limited possibilities for making larger investments and creating a building complex of over 6000 square meters poses a great challenge to it. The NGO has worked already for years for this to succeed. We are convinced that creating the Waldorf Centre in cooperation with the City of Tartu, Ministry of Science and Education and other local and international partners is achievable.

The prize money for the architectural design competition of the Tartu Waldorf Centre totals 22 000 Euros, from which prizes for best architectural solutions would be assigned. The contest jury includes also members from abroad, and we expect also foreign architects to participate in the competition.

The architectural design competition materials are available from the Tartu Waldorf School home page: http://waldorfkool.info/page.php?p=718 .

 

Contact persons:

Mati Raamat

Chairman of the jury of the Tartu Waldorf Centre architectural design competition

Tartu Waldorf School parent

Tartu City Engineer

Phone: 50 79 650

E-mail: mati.raamat@raad.tartu.ee

 

Katri Tammekand

Project manager for Establishing the Tartu Waldorf Centre

Tartu Waldorf School parent

Member of the Board of the Tartu Free Waldorf School Association     

Phone: 50 15 141

E-mail: katri.tammekand@gmail.com