[3rd year student] Design for a school

[Ash]

Design a school expansion
Location - Duffel, Belgium
Type of Project - A school expansion
Design Parameters - /
Tools/Programs - Sketchup, Photoshop, Autocad, Macromedia Flash, Maxwell 4 SU, Vray4SU
Design Approach - The assignment was to design an expansion for an existing school. A solution to a shortage problem: not enough classrooms, space, kitchen and school dinner, very small gym and toilets were not seperated. Some buildings were allowed to be demolished others had to stay.

Picture of the concept:

[Ash]

The problematic areas are highlighted, these are the areas that are allowed to be demolished. The red line is the area we are allowed to work in. Except for the buildings that have to stay they can't be touched.

[Ash]

We had to come up with a 'masterplan' I don't know if it's called that way in english, it's something that describes how you will deal with the space you have to work in. The black line is the movement we want as you can see it covers the problematic areas and connects them.

[Ash]

Also we wanted to maintain the view across the whole area (orange line)

[Ash]

We had to extend primary school and rebuild the preschool which are at this moment temporary classrooms (containers). So what we wanted was to seperate them but not physically. The light orange is preschool the green is primary. The orange 'snake' is what we thought was possible as footprint. The future proofed us wrong and we had to expand (A LOT)

[Ash]

Some further analyses. Lager means Primary school and kleuter, preschool. The orange = footprint (still too small at that time). The green is well yeah green (nature) which was a request.

[Ash]

Some variation

[Ash]

Estimated values. The reason why there's a 2X is because the primary school has 2 floors, the preschool is on the ground. They are connected with a central 'floating' volume which has a controlling point of view. That's where the principal has his office, the teachers lounge,kitchen, archive and school counseling.

[Ash]

An isometric overview

[Ash]

A view

[Ash]

Another view

[Ash]

And another one

[Ash]

A few months and a few designs later we came up with our final solution to the expansion problem. A lot had changed but we always kept to our concept. Namely this:

The red line shows the movement through the building, you don't have to exit if you want to get to the other side, there is ONE movement, and should be felt at any time.
The blue line shows the visual line, the controlling volume which seperates primary from preschool (or not?)

[Ash]

An overview of a ground plan
Very light gray means a class
Dark gray is transitionzones (inside-outside)
Light gray is toilets, kitchen and space to put school stuff

[Ash]

Same here but 1st floor plan

[Ash]

Now I'll discuss the different parts of the project. First preschool concept.
1. Interaction between classroom, polyvalent room and green zone
2. Extra light
3. Polyvalent room (which is used for story reading and stuff, as requested) could also be opened and used as a playground with a roof.

[Ash]

Plan

1. polyvalent room
2. preschool classroom
3. green zone
4. playground
5. storage room
6. lockable entrance

[Ash]

Sections and view

[Ash]

Structure (wood)

[Ash]

Visualisations (polyvalent room)