Kuressaare Vocational School Dormitory

Typology: Public, Architecture
Location: Kuressaare, Estonia
Year: 2026
Status: Proposal in open competition
Client: Private
Design team: a part arhitekti

Located along Vallimaa Street in Kuressaare, the dormitory responds to the rhythm, scale, and traditions of Saaremaa's historic townscape. Conceived as a sensitive addition to the existing street front, the project reinterprets local cornice lines into a sculptural volume that reads as a natural continuation of the surroundings. 

Built from CLT panels and wrapped in a shimmering metal mesh façade, the design draws inspiration from the frozen winter landscape of Saaremaa - a "Silver Ice" surface that shifts with the changing light and sky. Timber, metal, and glass come together around a green courtyard, the social heart of the project, where rest, gathering, and everyday student life unfold.