Campus Knokke
NL Architects G
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Status:
Design
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Education type:
Municipal Education
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Education level:
Primary Education (pre-school + primary)
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Client:
municipality of Knokke-Heist
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Contest:
Open Call
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Area:
3664m2
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Number of classrooms:
20
A playful and multi-purpose school building set in the green belt of the municipality.
The organisation of nursery and primary education remains one of the key tasks for the municipality of Knokke-Heist. With that in mind, the Zevekote and De Vonk schools will be combined . The new school site in the borough of Knokke is an open terrain covering some 2 ha and lying in the fork between the Kragendijk and Jan Devisch street. Its location on the borderline of an open landscape of rural fields and meadows, yet in the immediate proximity of the sports centre and the centre of Knokke, is a definite asset. The municipal council wants to invest in a multifunctional, sustainable, and contemporary school building for nursery toddlers and primary school pupils , set within a green environment. That still leaves open the possibility of adding a child daycare facility nearby. The new construction is to accommodate 400 pupils, which calls for a school building measuring some 3,300 m², with space for a gym covering 485 m² plus an additional 144 m² for the storage of bicycles and 3,200 m² for playgrounds.
NL architects have presented a design that meets the innovative pedagogical vision of the client. A lot of space outside the classroom is created both for nursery toddlers and primary school pupils, a feature that stimulates collaboration between classes and and promotes individualized learning processes. The wing housing the primary school section is designed to accommodate 14 classrooms located in a circle around a central open learning space. In the nursery section, the classrooms are more centrally concentrated around an inner courtyard. Along the outside walls runs a hallway that is communal space to be used by all classes. The multifunctional gym is located in the centre and actually represents the heart of the school. This gym serves as a meeting place, theatre, and events hall, while at the same time representing the connecting link between the various sections of the school. The gym is encircled by a walk-around passageway that divides pupils and visitors to the building. A thickened wall around the gym incorporates the dressing rooms and storage area for gym equipment, but also houses play and work spaces that will generate further activity along the encircling passageway. The wall also features sporadic openings in order to enable visual and physical contact and inter-activity.
Given that the nursery and primary educational activities, the administrative section, and the other multi-purpose spaces are connected as wings to the gym, a building with different parts is being created. The many in-between exterior spaces allow for untrammelled perspectives both from the inside and outside and ensure that a lot of activity can be experienced when making one’s way throughout the entire area. The building’s layout is clear and well-defined, making it easy for even small children to find their way around while at the same time ensuring that it can be used readily for after-school community activities. The choice of an attractive, welcoming, and very child-friendly school environment has resulted in a one floor building plan , with a large footprint being the only disadvantage.