Campus Hub
Centralisation of all learning spaces on the Strubenacher campus
We have been part of Zumikon for more than 50 years
The Inter-Community School (ICS) was founded 60 years ago and has been located in Zumikon for more than 50 years. It offers an English-language educational programme for children up to the age of 18 and its location in Zumikon plays a significant role for international companies. Increased demand from the international business sector in the greater Zurich area has seen ICS grow into a school with over 800 students from 57 countries.
An engaged member of the community
ICS regularly organises events for the surrounding neighbourhood. ICS sports facilities and music rooms are used by the local sports clubs, the music school of Zumikon and external teachers.
Spread over various properties in the neighbourhood
Today, its main location is the campus at Strubenacher with two school buildings built in 1973 and 1999 including a gym and a parking area. Since 2005, additional locations have been leased in the neighbouring commercial zone at Schwäntenmos.
Integration of all school premises into the Strubenacher Campus
Today, our school is allocated across several buildings in the neighbourhood. This distribution of school space is not optimal in the long term, from the perspective of the school and the Zumikon municipality.
The Strubenacher campus with the planned school building on the far right (visualisation: Jonathan Holland RIBA)
ICS Campus Hub
ICS is planning a new school building to relocate the teaching facilities for approximately 200 students from the commercial zone to the Strubenacher campus. The new building will include classrooms and administrative offices as well as an underground triple gym. ICS has drawn up a project entitled "ICS Campus Hub.”
New school building to replace existing buildings
The new project will replace the current gym and the adjacent building on Ebmatingerstrasse. The current gym is a former stable that no longer meets today's energy and functional requirements.
Growth of the school is not planned
The planned new building is geared to the current number of students and offers a state-of-the-art learning environment. An increase in the number of students is not currently planned.
Current ICS Locations
School premises located on the campus and in the commercial zone.
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Future Location of the ICS Campus Hub
All school facilities integrated into the campus thanks to the new school building.
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The ICS Campus Hub in detail
The ICS Campus Hub project will complement the two current buildings on the Strubenacher campus by adding a third building to house additional classrooms and sports facilities. This modern and versatile new building replaces the existing gym at the corner of Strubenacher and Ebmatingerstrasse.
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New school building
ICS intends to replace its gym and the adjacent building with a new building which will appear as a two-storey structure when viewed from Ebmatingerstrasse. When viewed from within the campus, due to the sloping terrain, the Campus Hub emerges as a three-storey building. Two underground levels are mainly occupied by a triple gym. The upper levels house classrooms, common rooms and administrative offices. With its open, flexible room structure or state-of-the-art learning studios, workshops for groups of various sizes are possible. The new building includes a green roof that can be used for school purposes.
Planned interior of the new school building with flexible room structures (visualisation: Jonathan Holland RIBA)
Implications for existing buildings
The new building will be connected by walkways above and below ground to the adjacent school building. The temporary gym in the north of the campus will no longer be needed and will therefore be dismantled.
Planned interior of the new school building with flexible room structures (visualisation: Jonathan Holland RIBA)
Carefully embedded in the landscape
The open space around the new school building will be gently landscaped as part of a comprehensive concept to bring more nature into the campus, optimise microclimatic conditions and improve the links with our surrounding neighbourhood.
The Strubenacher campus with the planned school building on the far right (visualisation: Jonathan Holland RIBA)
Enhancing open spaces
The new building will be structured and positioned so that noise emissions towards residential areas on Ebmatingerstrasse are reduced. Neighbours will continue to enjoy the green countryside view. Landscaping is planned along Strubenacherstrasse and Ebmatingerstrasse to enhance the space. In accordance with the overarching landscape concept, as many existing trees as possible will be preserved on the site. In the long term, planting will also be increased along Vonweidweg and towards the communal garden area adjacent to the campus.
Views to the landscape
Similar to the existing school buildings, the ICS Campus Hub is intentionally arranged so that perspective from Strubenacher to the northern landscape remains unobstructed. This enables a continuous and uninterrupted scenic vista throughout the campus, and permits the circulation of cooling air currents from the forest to the residential area.
View of the planned school building from Ebmatingerstrasse (visualisation: Jonathan Holland RIBA)
Improving the traffic situation
ICS is not increasing total enrolment in the school with the building project, therefore the school’s traffic volume in the neighbourhood will not increase. Following the consolidation of all the buildings on the Strubenacher campus, all traffic will be directed to the Main Campus.
Future traffic
Traffic to the ICS school campus sometimes led to congestion in the neighbourhood, especially in the mornings. This situation was improved in 2020. As part of the revision of the private zoning plan, the mobility concept was updated and thanks to the measures envisaged, traffic around the campus will circulate and flow more efficiently in the future.
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Parking spaces for cars, bicycles and school buses
ICS currently has 150 parking spaces on campus (including 70 visitor parking spaces). This number will not be increased. A further 78 parking spaces, which are currently available to staff and parents in the commercial zone, will be relinquished. Outside school hours, the parking spaces are available to external users, such as the neighbouring church. The school currently has 80 bicycle parking spaces: 50 on the Strubenacher campus and 30 on the Schwäntenmos premises. The centralisation will double the number of bicycle parking spaces on campus to 100. ICS has 13 school buses with a capacity for 16 passengers each. The number of bus parking spaces will be increased to 20 to offer additional school bus service in the future. ICS plans to increase the number of school buses in the long term, further contributing to a reduction in individual traffic.
The drop-off and pick-up system currently in place for students, who travel to school by car, works well - thanks to our traffic wardens. This system will therefore be maintained.
Course of planning and realisation
In order for ICS to be able to implement this building project, the private zoning plan for the site had to be revised.
New private zoning plan
The ICS campus site is subject to a mandatory private zoning plan. This plan defines the location, dimensions and use of the buildings as well as the design of the open space and parking areas. A private zoning plan for the site was approved in January 2002. This zoning plan has since been renewed, so that ICS can realise the planned new building.
Public consultation and public information event
The public consultation of the adapted private zoning plan will commence on March 12, 2021. For 60 days from that date, the documentation can be viewed in the offices of the Zumikon municipality. Detailed information on the construction project, the information event, as well as opportunities for a personal meeting can be found on the ICS website: www.icsz.ch.
Further steps until realisation
Construction of the Main Building can be expected to start in the coming years.
Time schedule
60 days beginning on March 12 2021
Public viewing of the private zoning plan.
Summer 2021
Public information event planned by ICS.
Approval of the private zoning plan by the Zumikon municipality.
Expected 2022
Submission of the building permit.
Expected 2023
Start of construction of the new school building.
Expected 2027
Opening of the new school building.
These dates may still be subject to change.
