Bruges, Belgium

2023 - 2024

​

​

Location

The Sint-Jozef district extends north of the historic city center of Bruges. Major traffic arteries, such as the N374 southeast to Koolkerke and the N376 west to Dudzele, cross this area. Here, between the residential area and the extensive extension of the port of Zeebrugge, a new primary school and ten homes are being built on a site of 1.12 hectares. This combination makes it more profitable to finance the new school.

​

Unfortunately, the current distribution and condition of the school buildings do not do enough to make visible the positive character of the school, the enthusiastic supervisors and the green education philosophy they pursue.

​

The buildings are dated and are scattered wildly across the site, not integrated into the existing greenery. This design makes it difficult to integrate outdoor education and awareness of nature into the teaching system. The playground is hidden and offers limited visibility for teachers, the connecting walkway is not easily accessible, and the scattered building structures make the school cluttered and not compact. In addition, the current building layout offers little room to adjust the classroom layout to meet the needs of education. Access to the school is difficult because cars, cyclists and walking parents with children cross each other. Unfortunately, the positive character of the school and the special qualities it has to offer go largely unnoticed due to all these limitations.

 

Masterplan

Maximization of a surrounding green buffer is one of the principles of the master plan. Rectangular and square volumes are guests in the park. A new clear access guides cyclists and pedestrians through the green environment. The beautiful park flows organically into the school. Local residents have access to a gate that provides them access to this park. The ‘village’ feeling is created in both the school and the homes by the arrangement of volumes around a central ‘square’. Narrow and wide ‘streets’ and ‘alleys’ both lead you to this ‘square’. By using vertical wooden cladding and vegetated roofs in both the school and the houses, the design fits seamlessly with its green, natural environment.

​

Concept primary school

The new primary school is divided into rectangles, which are oriented from the central ‘square’. This ‘square’ forms the beating green heart of the school, where children and supervisors come together. This design choice creates short walking distances and remains an open and accessible building. The complex consists of 2 floors, nursery classes are located at ground level and higher classes on the higher floor. The activities in the sports hall, located at the front between the school yards, are clearly visible to the neighborhood and give the primary school as a whole a recognizable face. Local residents and other interested parties have the opportunity to enjoy children playing sports and other users who can reserve this sports hall outside school hours. The architecture of the design aims for flexibility and creative interpretation, multi-purpose spaces and sliding walls can evolve with the school. Simplicity, unity and atmosphere are the core values of the interior in which the children add extra color. From every classroom there is a view of the greenery for the benefit of human well-being. The heart and the park with the greenery present there can also be used for outdoor education, so that the children experience unity with nature and awareness is created for the environment and the surroundings. From every classroom there is a view of the greenery for the benefit of human well-being. The heart and the park with the greenery present there can also be used for outdoor education, so that the children experience unity with nature and awareness is created for the environment and the surroundings.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​