De Brink Community School
De Brink Community School
De Brink Community School
Your own identity and security
Four schools in one complex
Atelier PRO and SVP architects worked closely together to design the educational and leisure facilities as a single complex, with atelier PRO designing the four primary schools - one on a Catholic and a Reformed basis, one for the deaf & hard of hearing and one for special education - and SVP architects the middle block of leisure facilities - consisting of a daycare center, a community center and sports facilities.
A heart for every school
The starting point of each school was the central hall, the heart, where the specific identity of that school can be expressed. This central hall consists of part of the auditorium, the central staircase and a large playroom. Linking these not only creates a spatially exciting composition, but also a multifunctional place for theme parties, school theater and Sinterklaas celebrations.
Inclusive Education Clusters
We have grouped the educational clusters around this central hall. In principle, each cluster consists of 4 rooms, which are projected in such a way that one central space per cluster is created. This space can be used as an extension of the classrooms - here you can play and work independently, on the computer, in the block corner or in the reading corner, without feeling like sitting in the hallway. A separate entrance has been created for each cluster; this naturally divides the massive flow of students into smaller groups, so that the children, especially the little ones, feel better at ease.
The child's scale is central
For atelier PRO, the scale of the child was the starting point behind our design, with attention to unity in detail and maintaining the big picture. That is why we opted for large plastic building volumes in warm red stone for the exterior, with a number of interventions leading to refinement and contrast. The interior has been deliberately kept calm, with bright spaces and only occasional touches of color. The real whirlwind of color and happiness comes with the users, the kids. The building should be a warm, familiar and calm counterpart to the joy of the students, who will fill the building with drawings, crafts, Christmas decorations and paint the windows beautifully.
