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A school for the neighbourhood

The starting point for the new school was to create a compact volume that has the ability to become the new heart, not only for the existing fragmented school, but for the entire area.

  • Client: vzw Ignatius Scholen in Beweging
  • Location: Meise, Belgium
  • Category: Community, Experience landscapes
  • Program: Primary school campus extension
  • Status: Completed
  • Building area: 4.203 m²
  • Collaborators: Alheembouw
NIV 00
groundfloor level with multipurpose sportshall
NIV 01
first floor level with connection to main entrance extended terrace

A centerpoint for innovative education, with a positive social impact on the neighbourhood, connected with nature.

A school should be more than classrooms. We minimize the typical classrooms spaces, now defined as focus areas, and maximise the multifunctional open areas to increase interaction and encourage new ways of learning. The multilevel inner spaces extend to the outside through an elevated deck, blurring the line with the playground area.

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main entrance - central square
SECTION
building use during school hours
SECTION SCENARIO 02
building use outside of school hours

Future-proof school

The project started from a very ambitious brief and a limited buildable area. A hyper efficient stacked program was the only answer, creating spaces that can be used by a broader public and during different time-frames.

The ultimate goal is to create a school that is flexible enough to cover future needs and help strengthen the social cohesion. Most of the spaces can be adapted for other purposes and users, increasing the opening hours of the school and opening up the school to the neighbourhood.

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Sports hall
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The Multilevel Playground

A big outside platform creates a covered playground area for the rainy days, while connecting the classrooms in the upper levels with the playgrounds and emphasizing the entrance area.

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School with a soul surrounded by nature.

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We wanted the interior of the building to be simple yet warm and honest. All the materials are carefully chosen to give a timeless character, balancing the acoustic needs with the homely feeling and allowing to create a strong link with the surrounding nature.

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Team
Nigel Jooren, Ferran Massip, Nathalie Landrieu, Emiel Volckaert, Miguel Sousa, Koen Maertens, Antoine Le Gouyer, Marta Lopez, Mona De Graeve
Credits

Pictures: Karen Van der Biest

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