How Can We Foster Community Interaction?
The starting point is a network of people and activities rather than an isolated school. Shared facilities create opportunities for groups to meet beyond their usual routines.
The Forest Nexus
A school, community centre and park gateway connecting shared learning with the forest.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
Can Blending Activities Bring People Together?
Educational, sports, cultural and event programmes overlap. Their shared edges become places for informal encounters and joint use.
Translate the Overlap into Architecture.
The Venn diagram becomes an architectural arrangement. The overlap forms a central open space connecting the building's different programmes.
Selected item 1 / 3
How Can We Foster Community Interaction?
The starting point is a network of people and activities rather than an isolated school. Shared facilities create opportunities for groups to meet beyond their usual routines.
Can Blending Activities Bring People Together?
Educational, sports, cultural and event programmes overlap. Their shared edges become places for informal encounters and joint use.
Translate the Overlap into Architecture.
The Venn diagram becomes an architectural arrangement. The overlap forms a central open space connecting the building's different programmes.
Selected item 1 / 3
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
Begin with the Value of the Trees.
The site study distinguishes existing trees and areas for intervention. The building is positioned in response to the forest, with the aim of retaining its landscape character.
Give Different Activities Their Own Setting.
Active sports and social uses are considered alongside calmer learning spaces. Their arrangement responds to both the urban edge and the quieter forest.
Connect the Neighbourhood to the Forest.
Urban alignment gives the school a clear relationship with its surroundings. Arrival and open space become part of the transition between the neighbourhood and the park.
Gather the Programme Around a Shared Heart.
Teaching, sports and event spaces form distinct parts of one connected building. Their overlap creates a common centre rather than isolated facilities.
Selected item 1 / 4
Begin with the Value of the Trees.
The site study distinguishes existing trees and areas for intervention. The building is positioned in response to the forest, with the aim of retaining its landscape character.
Give Different Activities Their Own Setting.
Active sports and social uses are considered alongside calmer learning spaces. Their arrangement responds to both the urban edge and the quieter forest.
Connect the Neighbourhood to the Forest.
Urban alignment gives the school a clear relationship with its surroundings. Arrival and open space become part of the transition between the neighbourhood and the park.
Gather the Programme Around a Shared Heart.
Teaching, sports and event spaces form distinct parts of one connected building. Their overlap creates a common centre rather than isolated facilities.
Selected item 1 / 4
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
Let the Roof Become Usable Ground.
Sports and cultivation move onto accessible roofs. This concentrates activities within the building's footprint while creating additional outdoor settings for school and community life.
Join a Wider Network of Paths.
Routes through the site connect the school with its surroundings. Movement is considered as part of the landscape, not simply as a journey from parking to a front door.
Give the Landscape More Than One Role.
Outdoor destinations support sport, play, cultivation and gathering. Their distribution offers different reasons to spend time around the school.
Organise Car and Bicycle Arrival.
The source study distinguishes car and bicycle parking arrangements. These support access while leaving room for the school's pedestrian connections and outdoor activities.
Selected item 1 / 4
Let the Roof Become Usable Ground.
Sports and cultivation move onto accessible roofs. This concentrates activities within the building's footprint while creating additional outdoor settings for school and community life.
Join a Wider Network of Paths.
Routes through the site connect the school with its surroundings. Movement is considered as part of the landscape, not simply as a journey from parking to a front door.
Give the Landscape More Than One Role.
Outdoor destinations support sport, play, cultivation and gathering. Their distribution offers different reasons to spend time around the school.
Organise Car and Bicycle Arrival.
The source study distinguishes car and bicycle parking arrangements. These support access while leaving room for the school's pedestrian connections and outdoor activities.
Selected item 1 / 4
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
Different Uses, One School.
The programme diagram distinguishes teaching, shared facilities and support spaces. Their arrangement establishes connections between formal learning and community use.
Extend Learning into the Open Air.
The roof axonometric brings outdoor sport and cultivation into the building's programme. These uses make the roof part of everyday school and neighbourhood life.
Give the Teaching Block a Clear Identity.
The facade study relates the taller classroom block to the lower shared spaces. A repeated external rhythm helps the different parts read as one connected building.
Selected item 1 / 3
Different Uses, One School.
The programme diagram distinguishes teaching, shared facilities and support spaces. Their arrangement establishes connections between formal learning and community use.
Extend Learning into the Open Air.
The roof axonometric brings outdoor sport and cultivation into the building's programme. These uses make the roof part of everyday school and neighbourhood life.
Give the Teaching Block a Clear Identity.
The facade study relates the taller classroom block to the lower shared spaces. A repeated external rhythm helps the different parts read as one connected building.
Selected item 1 / 3
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
A Gateway Between Neighbourhood and Forest.
The entrance is conceived as a threshold between everyday neighbourhood life and the forest. Paths and outdoor gathering areas make arrival part of the school's wider civic role.
A Gateway Between Neighbourhood and Forest.
The entrance is conceived as a threshold between everyday neighbourhood life and the forest. Paths and outdoor gathering areas make arrival part of the school's wider civic role.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
The Forest as an Everyday Classroom.
The canteen extends towards the forest, connecting shared meals with outdoor life. The proposal aims to retain the landscape's natural character, using limited intervention to support learning and neighbourhood use.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
The Shared Heart of the School.
The central hall and canteen bring the building's activities into a common space. Tables, steps and circulation become settings for spontaneous meetings, group study and informal learning.
The Shared Heart of the School.
The central hall and canteen bring the building's activities into a common space. Tables, steps and circulation become settings for spontaneous meetings, group study and informal learning.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
The project
In today’s digital society, social connection is increasingly rare. The Forest Nexus proposes a new model of school as community infrastructure, uniting learning and social life. Located in Vilnius, the 11,520 m² project brings together education, recreation, and civic engagement within one adaptable framework.
The design envisions education as a shared civic platform. By layering programs with overlapping boundaries, it promotes connection across generations and cultures. Inspired by a Venn diagram, its circular geometry creates zones of intersection—spaces of openness, creativity, and interaction.
The building integrates nature both conceptually and physically, positioning learning within a forest setting. Classrooms, studios, and gathering spaces radiate around a central “free space” that supports shared activity. This configuration transforms the school into a catalyst for neighborhood life, fostering community through coexistence.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
A Roof That Becomes Public Ground.
Accessible roofs accommodate sport and community cultivation. These outdoor programmes make the compact building part of the usable landscape rather than leaving its roof as an inaccessible surface.
A Roof That Becomes Public Ground.
Accessible roofs accommodate sport and community cultivation. These outdoor programmes make the compact building part of the usable landscape rather than leaving its roof as an inaccessible surface.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
A Quiet Place to Learn.
The internal courtyard offers a calmer counterpart to the shared hall. Learning and relaxation face a planted interior landscape, with places to gather, read or spend time alone.
A Quiet Place to Learn.
The internal courtyard offers a calmer counterpart to the shared hall. Learning and relaxation face a planted interior landscape, with places to gather, read or spend time alone.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
A Connected Landscape.
The site plan links arrival, accessible roof activities and outdoor destinations with the surrounding path network. The forest is a defining part of the scheme, rather than a background to the building.
A Connected Landscape.
The site plan links arrival, accessible roof activities and outdoor destinations with the surrounding path network. The forest is a defining part of the scheme, rather than a background to the building.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
Meet the Neighbourhood.
The north elevation describes the school's public edge and changing programme heights. Entrances and accessible roof levels connect the building to the ground.
Follow the Changing Ground.
The east elevation relates the taller teaching block to lower shared volumes and roof activities. The facade gives these different scales a common rhythm.
Keep the Forest Present.
The west elevation shows the school against its wooded setting. Lower volumes and outdoor terraces mediate between the building's shared spaces and the surrounding landscape.
Read the Building as an Ensemble.
The south elevation brings the teaching block and lower roofscape into one composition. Repeated facade elements connect their different heights and uses.
Selected item 1 / 4
Meet the Neighbourhood.
The north elevation describes the school's public edge and changing programme heights. Entrances and accessible roof levels connect the building to the ground.
Follow the Changing Ground.
The east elevation relates the taller teaching block to lower shared volumes and roof activities. The facade gives these different scales a common rhythm.
Keep the Forest Present.
The west elevation shows the school against its wooded setting. Lower volumes and outdoor terraces mediate between the building's shared spaces and the surrounding landscape.
Read the Building as an Ensemble.
The south elevation brings the teaching block and lower roofscape into one composition. Repeated facade elements connect their different heights and uses.
Selected item 1 / 4
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
Support Shared Use from Below.
The basement accommodates parking and supporting uses alongside larger sports and event spaces. The complete source plan retains their relationship to the central circulation.
Bring Everyday Activities Together.
Arrival, the canteen and shared facilities connect teaching with sport and events. The courtyard gives this active ground level a quieter internal focus.
Connect Learning Around the Courtyard.
Classrooms, laboratories and shared learning areas gather around the planted courtyard. Circulation is conceived as part of the educational environment rather than residual space.
A Teaching Level Above an Active Roof.
The upper teaching level remains connected to the courtyard, while lower roofs provide outdoor sports and gathering spaces. The plan makes this relationship between inside and outside explicit.
Selected item 1 / 4
Support Shared Use from Below.
The basement accommodates parking and supporting uses alongside larger sports and event spaces. The complete source plan retains their relationship to the central circulation.
Bring Everyday Activities Together.
Arrival, the canteen and shared facilities connect teaching with sport and events. The courtyard gives this active ground level a quieter internal focus.
Connect Learning Around the Courtyard.
Classrooms, laboratories and shared learning areas gather around the planted courtyard. Circulation is conceived as part of the educational environment rather than residual space.
A Teaching Level Above an Active Roof.
The upper teaching level remains connected to the courtyard, while lower roofs provide outdoor sports and gathering spaces. The plan makes this relationship between inside and outside explicit.
Selected item 1 / 4
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
A Shared Base.
Sports, events and supporting accommodation occupy the lower part of the building. The diagram distinguishes these larger facilities from the teaching block above.
A Network of Shared Activities.
The ground-level programme links classrooms and shared facilities through a common interior. The school is planned as a setting for collaboration as well as individual study.
Different Ways to Learn.
Teaching spaces sit alongside arts, library and informal learning settings. The range of activities broadens the educational experience beyond a single classroom model.
Learning, Making and Shared Access.
Classrooms and a fab lab occupy the upper teaching block. The diagram connects these uses with shared circulation and access from the lower roofscape.
Selected item 1 / 4
A Shared Base.
Sports, events and supporting accommodation occupy the lower part of the building. The diagram distinguishes these larger facilities from the teaching block above.
A Network of Shared Activities.
The ground-level programme links classrooms and shared facilities through a common interior. The school is planned as a setting for collaboration as well as individual study.
Different Ways to Learn.
Teaching spaces sit alongside arts, library and informal learning settings. The range of activities broadens the educational experience beyond a single classroom model.
Learning, Making and Shared Access.
Classrooms and a fab lab occupy the upper teaching block. The diagram connects these uses with shared circulation and access from the lower roofscape.
Selected item 1 / 4
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
Establish the Structural Order.
The red structural overlay identifies the proposed arrangement at basement level. It explains the relationship between larger shared volumes, parking and the teaching block above.
Align Structure with Circulation.
The ground-floor structural study coordinates the teaching block with the shared base. Its arrangement supports a range of room sizes without treating load-bearing walls as movable.
Keep Classroom Divisions Lightweight.
The first teaching-level overlay distinguishes the structural order from classroom subdivisions. Lightweight partitions can be changed as educational needs develop.
Allow the Learning Environment to Change.
The upper-level study continues the same structural logic. Classroom divisions can be combined or subdivided within that order; future alterations remain subject to design and technical review.
Selected item 1 / 4
Establish the Structural Order.
The red structural overlay identifies the proposed arrangement at basement level. It explains the relationship between larger shared volumes, parking and the teaching block above.
Align Structure with Circulation.
The ground-floor structural study coordinates the teaching block with the shared base. Its arrangement supports a range of room sizes without treating load-bearing walls as movable.
Keep Classroom Divisions Lightweight.
The first teaching-level overlay distinguishes the structural order from classroom subdivisions. Lightweight partitions can be changed as educational needs develop.
Allow the Learning Environment to Change.
The upper-level study continues the same structural logic. Classroom divisions can be combined or subdivided within that order; future alterations remain subject to design and technical review.
Selected item 1 / 4
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2
A shared learning and community hub connecting city and nature.
- Project and location
- The Forest Nexus, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Year
- 2023
- Typology
- Education
- Program
- High School, Community Center
- Size
- 11,520 m2