A New School in 12 Weeks

This is made possible by the “school construction kit” that Kleusberg has developed together with Porsche Consulting. The underlying idea is the following: schools of the future should no longer be planned and built as unique projects — in purely technical terms — but rather be easily configured from standardized module segments. Kleusberg is therefore taking a decisive step beyond the type of modular construction that has existed for decades: it is transitioning from a project- to a product-based business model. Thanks to its modular design principle and online configurator, developers can select and commission their new schools without having to sacrifice any design possibilities. Kleusberg takes all the requirements for a school’s different functions into account during the product development phase. “We work with 44 predefined module segments that allow for just about any conceivable configuration. Despite the standardization, that enables us to fulfill our clients’ exact wishes,” says Oliver Hartmann, an architect and Kleusberg’s CEO Modular Construction.

The modules of the school construction kit are assembled on site into a school building. This takes place primarily using a plug-and-play principle, because the pipes and electrical lines have already been laid and only need to be connected. “The high degree of prefabrication means there’s a lot less to do at the site itself,” explains Jonas Beuth, Head of Product Development, Modular Construction. “That’s where we concentrate on the corridor areas, classroom module interfaces, façades, and roofs.” Series production not only saves time, however: construction costs can also be reduced by around 15 percent and quality problems avoided thanks to controlled conditions in the factory.