‘The greenest building is the one that already exists,’ #RetroFirst

The primary objective of this renovation and reconstruction project is to preserve as many of the existing shed-roofed classrooms as possible, reusing elements and salvaging the remainder. The result is a new, optimized two-storey building comprising ten new group spaces. The timber main loadbearing structure, made up of prefabricated columns, beams and CLT floors, is removable, allowing for a relatively short construction time and flexible future use. The predominant use of biobased materials also contributes to a reduction in carbon emissions. The project features a materials passport, educating pupils about the circular materials used and their school’s energy consumption.

The new group rooms include a balcony on the first floor and a covered outdoor area on the ground floor. The canopied balcony for the upper grades functions as sports field bleachers, a vegetable plot, a space for outdoor education and an awning. The pots and containers from the vegetable plot and climbing plants enhance the school’s green appearance, providing cooling, promoting biodiversity and supporting climate adaptation.

Adjacent to the main entrance of the existing building, the Child Centre is themed around ‘healthy eating’. The atmosphere is shaped by the existing tree, the vegetable plot and the chickens. Inside, the utilitarian facilities are relocated from the centre to the outer rim, transforming it into an open heart for the centre. This space features a meeting room/library, a shared area and play-learn squares. A new timber structure of columns and beams, along with a CLT floor, brings in daylight and adds height to this central area.

The sports field side has a new façade with a distinct second entrance for the middle and upper grades. Here, the new building establishes a connection to the sports field, themed around ‘sport and movement’, with balconies, stairs, bleachers and a slide enhancing its character. The building culminates in a shed with a covered sandpit on the ground floor and an outdoor classroom directly linked to the crafts room upstairs. The shed serves as a gateway, crow’s nest and watchtower, connecting the school, the Speelheide and the Child Centre. Surrounded by treetops, this spot is one of the school’s most remarkable features, serving as the starting point for treasure hunts, a stage for winning football teams and a setting for community barbecues.