In the German municipality of Allensbach, near Konstanz, the Hegne convent complex includes the Marianum secondary school, where a new annex was needed to accommodate additional facilities. The new building, 109 meters long and about 12 wide, directly engages with the one completed in 2009, also carried out by LRO as part of the educational center. Distributed lengthwise along the two floors of the annex are administrative offices, teachers’ lounges, six classrooms, and ancillary spaces. The six niches on the upper level establish visual connections with the environs and offer indoor rest areas for students.

The facades are covered entirely with render, in a color matching the masonry of the existing buildings. The coarse-grained surface of the rendering gives the material a tactile quality. The finer finish of the render at the height of the ceiling slabs accentuates the building form’s strong horizontality.