School in Knokk-Heist by NL Architects

All images courtesy of NL Architects

Amsterdam-based practice NL Architects has won a competition in designing 'school in knokk-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.

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.

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.

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.