Old school building gets new life as inspiring learning environment

RVE Education Youth and Care Municipality of Amsterdam, the client, selected Moke Architects for the design. "The school building was originally a beautiful building," explains architect Gianni Cito. "However, due to thoughtless modifications and negligent maintenance, it has fallen into disrepair over the past decades. We looked closely at how we could bring back the old glory in our design."

Old concrete structure, wooden additions

"The concrete structure of the school building will be retained," Cito continued. "We emphasize that structure with a metal cladding that replaces the original concrete exterior façade. Large windows make the building open and light and give the feeling of being outside. Especially on the park side, that is of great added value." Moke Architects expanded the school building with an auditorium and classrooms. Cito: "We executed that addition in wood, to show a clear difference between old and new."

Pleasant learning environment

A lot of wood is used throughout the building. From the coat racks to the stairs and from the cabinets to the kitchens. "Wood is a natural, workable material with a warm feel," says Cito. "That fits perfectly with the pleasant learning environment we want to create. The three-meter-wide hallways, with plenty of room for quiet learning areas, also contribute to this. But also the cozy play corners under the stairs and the direct connection to the fenced outdoor playground."

Circular

As far as Cito is concerned, the auditorium is the most beautiful part of the school: "A beautiful wooden structure as the beating heart of the building, with an imposing wooden stage staircase cum grandstand as an eye-catcher. This place lends itself ideally to performances and celebrations." The auditorium and staircase are made of high-quality circular wood, sourced from a demolished gymnasium elsewhere in the city. The building also features reclaimed wood ceilings, Sfynx sinks, doors and kitchen interiors. Cito: "In De Wereldburger, various buildings live on in a full-fledged way. The municipality of Amsterdam played an important role in this. It fully embraced the circular idea and made great efforts to find donor buildings, for example."

Implementation

Implementation is in full swing. Moke Architects is closely involved. "A good design is important, but what matters is what the building really looks like in the end," Cito emphasizes. "I am very pleased with the way the contractor, Friso Bouwgroep, is bringing our ideas to life. I have full confidence that De Wereldburger will soon be the safe and inspiring learning environment we envisioned."

Combination of new and circular materials in finishing work

Whether for residential construction, commercial construction, retail or educational institutions, clients expect a building to fully meet their expectations upon completion. Both in terms of structural work and finishing. Main contractors often rely on a reliable partner, such as ACN Totale Afbouw from Renswoude, for the complete finishing. 

"Friso Bouw Almere is responsible for the thorough makeover and expansion of elementary school de Wereldburger in Amsterdam and contacted us for the finishing work. For example, we already installed 800 m² of interior walls, which we finished completely in the highest class and sauce-ready. In the toilets and wet rooms, we installed 120 meters of suspended ceilings," explains company manager Thomas Jacobsen. "In this project we are combining new and circular materials for the first time. We are currently installing 700 m² of slatted ceilings constructed from wooden slats reclaimed from other buildings in Amsterdam. These recycled slats must be properly processed and assembled to achieve the best possible result."