House of Lifelong Learning
Harnessing Synergies, Expanding Access to Education
  • Location
    Dreireich
  • Project
    Teilabbruch, Neubau, Umbau und Sanierung eines integrierten Schulcampus für drei Schulen
  • Client
    OFB Projektentwicklung
  • Architect of record
    Holger Meyer
  • Planning and construction period
    2004–2008
  • Service phases
    1–8
  • Gross floor area (AG/BG)
    32,420 m²/2,780 m²
  • Technical building equipment
    Jäger Plomer & Partner, Ingenieurgemeinschaft, Frankfurt am Main
  • Electrical planning
    TP-Elektroplan, Gaggenau
  • Structural engineering
    Dr. Deutsch-Buckert-Thomas, Ingenieursozietät, Frankfurt am Main
  • Fire protection
    Hankel Ingenieurbüro für Brandschutz, Marburg
  • Awards
    Deutschland Land der Ideen,
    Kategorie 365 Orte, 2007
  • Photos
    Henning Kreft
  • This project is from the joint period of meyerschmitzmorkramer.

With the Haus des Lebenslangen Lernens (House of Lifelong Learning, HLL), we created a new and pioneering learning environment for Europe in 2008. Bringing together the Max Eyth School, a music school, an adult education center, a high school, and a secondary school for adults, the HLL integrates various educational formats, pathways, and childcare services in an intergenerational learning environment. This exceptional project sees Kreis Offenbach, in the German state of Hessen, fully implementing the educational principles of the European Union’s “Strategy for Lifelong Learning,” adapted by the federal and state governments. The collaborative and integrative profile of the institutions at HLL is reflected in both the architecture and the pedagogical approaches. Close cooperation between institutions, short distances, and the concentration of educational expertise result in significant educational, content-based, and organizational synergies. Facilities and equipment are used throughout the day, reducing costs for specialized equipment in workshop spaces, science rooms, and dining facilities.

Palette of blue and green

Our design for the new three- and four-story education center forms a comb-shaped structure with open spaces facing the adjacent residential area. Parts of the old architecture that were unsuitable for integration were replaced by the new structure, while school operations continued seamlessly in the remaining buildings. The open and accessible campus architecture embodies the concept of lifelong learning, presenting it through a welcoming design. Classrooms and communal spaces are bathed in natural light, while robust, tactile materials cultivate a stimulating atmosphere. Expansive green spaces, terraces, play areas, and the on-campus café encourage interaction between students and educators.

Crafting a new learning landscape

The House of Lifelong Learning (HLL), designed by meyerschmitzmorkramer, is a trailblazing project in Europe, uniting multiple educational and vocational offerings within one campus. Alongside the new three-to five-story buildings, the complex includes a parking garage, refurbished existing buildings, and a sports hall. The HLL not only embraces the concept of lifelong learning but gives it tangible form through its open, inviting architecture. The pedagogical theory of “the room as a third teacher,” where the physical learning environment motivates and enhances performance, is central to the design. In recognition of its innovative contribution, the project was honored in 2007 as part of the “Germany Land of Ideas” initiative.

Project team
  • Holger Meyer
  • Thomas Leonhard
  • Jens Bodendieck
  • Ilka Frömel
  • Gerd Jakobs
  • Sibylle Lienhard
  • Antje Veldman