A primary school should make a joyous use of space; this spatial aspect of architecture has been utilized to create an adventurous route with exciting vistas. The movement of light plays an important role.

A Community School (in Dutch ‘brede school’, literally ‘broad school’) for a housing development near Amsterdam. The design had to satisfy various users: the Protestant primary school the ‘Braambos’ (the Burning Bush), the playgroup, the after-school childcare and the Municipal Department for Sport and Recreation. The point of departure was to give the various age groups (children from three months to twelve years and also adults and teenagers) a functional and harmonious building.

The building in which the community-support functions are incorporated stands in a park-like strip of land at the edge of the housing development. It has been built as a free-standing building. In spite of having three different user groups, the outside forms a whole.

Project details

* Project Name: Community School in the Netherlands
* Client: Primary School, Childrens day care centre, Municipality of Harlemmermeer
* Project Type: Community School
* Principal Designer/s: Theo Kupers, Floris le Conge Kleyn,
* Design Team: Theo Kupers, Gerwen van der Linden, Anja Brockman, Floris le Conge Kleyn, Robin Schaeverbeke. With Iemke Bakker (Mecanoo) and Ina Meijer (I+M design)
* Executor/s: Heembouw, Burgers Ergon, GTI
* Location of site: Netherlands
* Date of commencement of project: 2002
* Date of completion of project: 2003
* Built-up Area: 2645 sq. mt.
* Cost: CA 2488000 €