LEAF Academy is starting to build its future campus in a new location about 30 km outside of Bratislava. The new residential campus will open its doors in few years and we will then call Vištuk home.

LEAF Academy is a unique international boarding school for students primarily from the Central European region, regardless of their socio-economic background.  It’s primary values of excellence, ethics, entrepreneurial leadership, and civic engagement are the foundations of LEAF Academy and they are committed to these values, not only in its educational philosophy, but in the design and construction of the new campus as well.  

The initial concept of the campus and introductory masterplan was prepared by Slovak architect Peter Stec in cooperation with the Austrian design studio, Soma. An international firm, Bogle Architects, is working on architectonic-urbanistic renditions of the campus.

Bogle has designed school campuses and educational buildings in places such as London, Singapore, and Prague. The team is led by Barbora Markechova and she will continue working on design details of the particular buildings. The project will be developed in several phases, the first is planned for a capacity of about 400 students.  

In addition, the architects and designers aim to create a campus that preserves local character:  buildings will be no higher than four floors, materials and color schemes will maintain a warm, natural feeling.  The project is also applying for the BREEAM environmental-sustainability certificate, representing overall excellence for design technology and construction.

LEAF Academy is also committed to building both a school community and also connecting with the wider community within Vištuk.  Students will have opportunities to engage in local activities such as coaching youth soccer teams or promoting the preservation of historical landmarks, such as the castle Červený Kameň.

In alignment with academy pillars of developing leadership skills and community building, the new campus does not aspire to be a luxurious place but instead, a place that fosters creativity, entrepreneurial creativity, and community engagement.  A centralized amphitheater along with the cafeteria, housing, and various meeting spaces will provide students and staff opportunities to collaborate, socialize, and share living and working spaces.

We are excited about these plans and the development of a new location for our growing LEAF Academy community!  We are continually looking to the future and finalizations, but in the meantime, thank you for all your support and will be sure to keep you updated as the process moves forward. Stay tuned!