NL architects: school in knokke-heist

'school in knokk-heist' by NL architects in belgium
all images courtesy NL architects


amsterdam-based practice NL architects has sent us images of their competition-winning design
of 'school in knokke-heist', an academic and multifunctional hall in the northern municipality of belgium.
characterized by four branching arms, the project pinwheels off a central 'heart' which will serve
an active role in the daily life of the school, resulting in a intuitive and efficient circulation scheme.



green roof


featuring a green roof, the single-storey facility benefits from a maximized surface area of
glazing which facilitates abundant natural lighting and views towards the nearby farmland.
apertures that pucker up from the roof further allows sunlight to penetrate through to the interior
surface. the exterior crevices which are generated from the branching arms are utilized as parks,
gardens and an open plaza. a flexible parking/drop-off zone seeps into the school's ground to
efficiently use the plot's area.




aerial view


acting as a multifunctional hall, the center of the building hosts a gymnasium which can
serve as a meeting place, a theatre, and a public place for ceremonies and festivals.
the heart is wrapped by a corridor which acts as an internal arcade that distributes the circulation
around the building. featuring a thick wall for building in dressing rooms and storage space,
this space also contains amoeba-shaped cavities which provides a number of private nooks for
studying and playing.



roof-off



view of the outdoor court






garden space






drop-off zone






courtyard space



looking into a classroom


the classrooms are conceived as flexible spaces and lack a fixed arrangement.
the window sills are extended to provide informal seating opportunities for a
more interactive environment for learning.



amoeba-shaped nooks



view into the gymnasium from corridor



gymnasium



assembly space



classroom



extended window sill serving as working surface

view out from the nursery room



aerial shot



roof plan



site plan



floor plan



section a-a



section b-b



section c-c



  magic arrow diagram

(top row from left to right) primary school, heart, nursery school
(bottom row from left to right) theater/restaurant, evening use, administration



sports hall elevations



versatile parking and outdoor court


project info:

client: gemeente knokke-heist
architects: pieter bannenberg, walter van dijk, kamiel klaasse
project leader: sarah moller
design team: michael schoner and gen yamamoto with shuichiro mitomo,
justine lemesre, jasper selen, christian asbo, luca kaptein roodnat (cover drawing)
structural engineer: ABT antwerpen- ABT belgie
climate and energy consultant: CENERGIE cvba
cost consultant: bremen bouwadviseurs bv