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Onze Droomschool : Dordrecht School Building

Onze Droomschool in Dordrecht Development, The Netherlands design by Mecanoo architecten

25 Apr 2012

Onze Droomschool in Dordrecht

Start of construction Onze Droomschool in Dordrecht

Design: Mecanoo architecten

Delft – Thursday, 26 April 2012, marks the official start of construction of the new building for Onze Droomschool in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, designed by Mecanoo architecten. The new 5,322 m² school brings together education, care and medical science.

The Vlij ‘Mytyl’ school, the Blije Gaarde school and the Dordtse Buitenschool collaborate in their new premises with the care support body Gemiva-SVG Group and the Rijndam revalidation centre. In addition to classrooms the building will house practical training studios, a mediatheque, music studio, sports centre and an outdoor Johan Cruijff court for soccer and basketball.

images : Mecanoo architecten

‘Human scale and security’ – this is the key concept in Mecanoo’s design for Onze Droomschool. By splitting the building up into a family of little brick houses it reflects the typical saddleback roofs found in the vicinity of the school. The ‘Onderbouwhuis’ (junior classes), ‘Bovenbouwhuis’ (senior classes), ‘Sporthuis’ and ‘Kinderrevalidatiehuis’ (children’s revalidation house) have their own individual colour of brick such as brown, orange and pale yellow making them easily recognizable for the children. The pupils feel safe and at home in their ‘own houses’. Transparent glass zones with the canteen, mediatheque and covered play area link up the different houses.

To give the children a warm and comfortable home, all of the walls, floors and ceilings of the school are made of wood. This layered wood is not only extremely sustainable and CO2-neutral, but also has a damp-regulating function and good insulating properties. It is so beautiful that it also acts as the interior finish. Reception areas, stairs, banisters, cupboards and open shelving, shutters and doors are all implemented in this solid wood.

Mecanoo, officially founded in Delft (the Netherlands) in 1984, is a creative multidisciplinary bureau with over 95 professionals and includes architects, interior designers, urban planners, landscape architects and architectural engineers who provide quality control and technical expertise. The practice is directed by founding architect, Francine Houben and managing partner, Aart Fransen. They are joined by partners Francesco Veenstra, Ellen van der Wal and Paul Ketelaars.

Mecanoo’s designs always consider the cultural setting of the project, be it in terms of place, history and physical surroundings and landscape. Mecanoo has designed many schools, including the Da Vinci College in Dordrecht (2007), the Sterren College in Haarlem (2011) and St. Lukas Primary School in Amsterdam (2011). At present, Mecanoo is working on numerous schools in the Netherlands, including Fontys Sports School in Eindhoven, the Calvijn establishment, The Green Heart in Barendrecht, Brede School in Mill, Luc Stevensschool in Utrecht, Anne Frank School in Utrecht and ROC Noorderpoort in Stadskanaal.

Onze Droomschool in Dordrecht images / information from Mecanoo architecten

Mecanoo

Location: Onze Droomschool, Dordrecht, Netherlands, northern Europe