The new building inhabits the following functions: central services, the new classrooms and the the existing main building of the high school.

Basically, the building is formalised as a classical brick wall bordering the park, serving as a perforated structure throughout which nature grows into the adjacent patio.

This massive volume creates, by means of its precisely outlined boundaries, volume and perforations a number of focal axis: it defines the park’s border and complements the present gap in the urban structure, clarifies the relationship between the existing school campus and the ‘Markesteenweg’, and between the new classrooms and the school complex.

This wall, housing the new classrooms filters the scholar activities from occurring events in the park.

The building’s socket defines an in between space, separating the public park from the semi-public school area and guides the pedestrians alongside and throughout the building.

Well-defined openings in the wall establish direct visual contact with the park.

These carefully chosen design options result in a spatially integrated artefact that does not impose itself onto the park space.

The enclosed courtyard is a sun-oriented patio, along which the internal circulation is organised. It is a scaled-down and privatised version of the existing park.

The design foresees in a possible future extension of this building without compromising its spatial qualities.

In collaboration with:

Bureau Bouwtechniek