ABOUT Estonian Academy of Security Sciences

The architectural concept of the Narva Study Center of the Academy of Internal Security consists of two main elements. The first is defined by the typology and location of the building, while the second focuses on its rigid, uniform structure, which contrasts with the flexible and dynamic transformation of the surrounding landscape.

The built environment along P. Kerese Street in Narva is primarily composed of freely planned Soviet-era panel buildings (“panelkas” and “khrushchyovkas”). The study center integrates into this unassuming urban fabric without hesitation, emphasizing its elongated form. The use of wood, both structurally and visually, further highlights the building’s distinctiveness.

The stepped terrain formations in front of the study center and accommodation building serve a spatially dynamic function, revealing and concealing different areas of the complex. In front of public spaces, such as the lobby and swimming pool area, the landscape remains flat or gently sloping downward. However, towards the center of the plot, the terrain rises in stepped layers, effectively concealing the shooting range and service vehicle parking area beneath it. The tiered landscape also serves as a protective perimeter for the building.

The basement (-1) and first floor house public and semi-public spaces, structured around a load-bearing concrete frame. The exposed concrete surfaces establish a strong and cohesive identity for the lobby, training, recreation, and workspaces, as well as the swimming pool area, which is supported by post-tensioned concrete beams spanning across three accommodation floors above.

The second, third, and fourth floors accommodate living quarters, constructed using cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. These three floors can house 264 residents. The wood-clad façade of the accommodation levels integrates harmoniously with the surrounding environment, and the structure incorporates a total of 727 CLT elements manufactured in Estonia, with a net volume of 2,113m³, making it the largest public timber building in Estonia.

The building is designed to meet near-zero energy requirements. The new study center is a low-energy structure, utilizing renewable building materials, a compact and energy-efficient form, on-site solar energy production, and a greywater heat recovery system to ensure minimal energy consumption throughout its entire lifecycle.