Noorderpoort regional community college, Mecanoo Building, Stadskanaal Project Design
Noorderpoort College Netherlands : Stadskanaal Building
Noorderpoort College Building, The Netherlands higher education design by Mecanoo
8 Feb 2013
Noorderpoort College Stadskanaal
Construction work starts at Noorderpoort school for vocational education
Design: Mecanoo architecten
Delft, 8 February, 2013 – The start of the construction work at the new Noorderpoort school for vocational education has been celebrated in Stadskanaal on the 7th of February 2013.
The 8,500 m² school building designed by Mecanoo architecten will be situated like a country estate on a beautiful front garden with extensive watercourses in the middle of the village’s green heart. The Noorderpoort school in Stadskanaal will provide an education for 1,300 pupils in the technology, health care and business services sectors. The school will open its doors in 2014.
image : Mecanoo
Viewed from the surrounding parkland, the new school building seems to rise up out of the water. The aluminum and transparent glass façade set underneath a crown of wood, gives the building an inviting and distinctive appearance. The central atrium, with its generous grandstand stairway forms the beating heart of the school. It is the most important meeting place for the pupils and functions as the main access point to all floors.
images : Mecanoo
The intensive cooperation between education and industry is truly innovative. A number of different commercial parties will be established in the building, allowing the pupils to directly benefit from practical in-house experience. In addition, various sports clubs will use the facilities in the school building, including the changing rooms and the canteen, which has a large outdoor terrace.
Noorderpoort Stadskanaal will be a sustainable building (BREEAM Very Good) and will provide a pleasant place to work and study. Roof lights and patios allow daylight to penetrate deep into the school building, while ever present openable windows provide fresh air and generate a healthy indoor climate.
20 Jul 2011
Noorderpoort College Stadskanaal Building
Noorderpoort college in Stadskanaal to be a villa on the water
Mecanoo architecten has won the architectural selection for the new Noorderpoort regional community college in Stadskanaal, the Netherlands. The 8,500 m² college is like a mansion with beautiful wetlands as a front lawn situated within the town’s green heart. The community college provides education to 1300 students in the Engineering, Health care and Services sectors. Construction is to begin in 2012 with doors opening in 2014.
images : Mecanoo
The atrium is at the heart of the building and features a large grandstand. It is the most important meeting place and provides access to every floor. This is where the different departments present themselves with their showcase windows that provide a literal view of what the various disciplines have on offer.
Noorderpoort is no traditional school but a modern educational environment where theory and practice are intertwined. The school is an exemplary model for the partnership between education and the business world. Several commercial businesses within the building contribute towards its multifunctionality.
Noorderpoort has an atmosphere that is both welcoming and striking. Striking is the interplay of the flowing forms of the wooden slats with a lot of glass above the open facade.The aim is for the building to achieve a BREEAM Very Good rating in sustainability. This rating is attained by application of underground thermal storage, sustainable materials, water treatment by means of a helophyte filter, a high degree of flexibility and healthy indoor ambient conditions.
images : Mecanoo
Mecanoo architecten is a global practice and offers architecture, urban planning, landscape and interior design services. The practice is led by architect/creative director Francine Houben. Mecanoo has designed many schools, including the Sterren College in Haarlem (2011) and the Da Vinci College in Dordrecht (2007). At present, Mecanoo is working on various schools in the Netherlands, including Amsterdam University College, Calvijn Het Groene Hart in Barendrecht and Fontys Sports School in Eindhoven.
Noorderpoort College Stadskanaal images / information from Mecanoo
Location: Stadskanaal, Netherlands, western Europe
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