New Harstad High School accommodates approximately 1,100 students aged 16-19 and stands as a cultural landmark and a centre for learning and social interaction on the waterfront in Harstad. The former shipyard area where the school is situated is thus transformed into an educational centre and a place for young people from the area to build relationships both among themselves and with the city.

The school offers both practical and theoretical studies. The learning spaces are flexible and can be used for various teaching methods, including project-based interdisciplinary learning. Overall, the school is inviting and open, with overlapping functions. At the same time, the school is designed to create a safe and inclusive environment where everyone is included. The rooftops are accessible to the public and provide space for activities, meeting places, and exhibitions. Through a vertical atrium, one can walk up through the floors with varying views of the fjord, the city, and the mountains. This also allows students and visitors to meet and gain insight into what each other is doing.

The base of the building is made of concrete to accommodate spacious studies and heavy machinery with hard usage of space. Above the base, the structure is made of timber. Together, this creates a robust and warm aesthetic and a comfortable indoor environment.

In Use Outside of School Hours

The school is a meeting place for the entire city, with accessible terraces on different levels and facilities that can be used after school hours, including concerts in the concert hall, dance classes in the dance studios, and lectures in the library. In the evenings, the school's activities will illuminate the harbour.

The outdoor areas are designed with a focus on the local nature and the character of the coast. The harbour park creates a new transition between the city and the water, where one can play, relax, and even swim in the sea and use the sauna. The park also includes natural solutions for handling rainwater and tides.

The goal is to become an energy-plus building, certified according to the BREEAM NOR standard 'Very Good,' which generates energy through solar panels on the roof and façade and by using low carbon footprint materials.