Winning design of the school campus in Belgium by NL Architects

At the end of February, the Amsterdam office NL Architects won the competition for a new school complex on the outskirts of the coastal town of Knokke-Heist in Belgian West Flanders.
Urbanistically, the school complex is 'anchored' on the edge of town: it remains in an urban environment but simultaneously benefits from wide views of the surrounding fields. The winning design features a single-storey building with a green roof. The expansive structure extends in all directions on a triangular plot of land. The arrangement of all rooms on a single level has the advantage of being barrier-free and directly connected to the surrounding environment. To the south, there is an area (2550m²) divided into various playgrounds, meadows, and vegetable gardens. The entire building, surrounded by a covered porch, is slightly sunken into the terrain. The rooms are situated three steps below the outdoor environment, marking the threshold between the interior and exterior, between the city and the countryside. Large-scale glazing and sliding doors facilitate the connection to the surrounding landscape. The entire complex consists of a primary school, a kindergarten, a cafeteria, and sports facilities. In the center of the complex, there is a sports hall. A large asphalt area (1620m²) with a grandstand can serve as both a parking lot and a sports facility. The main characteristics of the new school complex are a series of open spaces and a strong connection between the inside and outside. The kindergarten also features a covered atrium separate from its surroundings.