Small city
High school campus
Start
Finished
Office
Partners
Size
Status
Location
: 02 / 2018
: 05 / 2018
: Kraaijvanger Architects
: David Hess, Rinske Wikkerink, Wouter Ijssel-de Schepper, Andrea Costa
: 14.000 m2
: European tender
: Appingendam (NL)
Following my interest for educational buildings, I participated in an European tender to combine four high schools in the small Northern town of Appingendam (NL). The objective was to create a campus like structure for the four separated school in the levels vocational, VMBO, HAVO and VWO. Aside from teaching, this new campus would function as attraction for companies, as a test case for new technologies to be implemented and to support students in their journey after high school.
An inspiring local urban typology to relate to is the 'terp' (raised village). We wanted to create a small scale village, made from the different
schools but all connected by a communal space used by all students. This automatically generates interesting areas, giving the school levels each its own identity whilst the complex still feels as one gesture.
The way how these buildings are designed and orientated enables the complex to change function in the future. If the demand for schooling decreases, each building could be transformed into offices, workshops or even housing.