Schools of Tomorrow - Merksem

Description 

A new building was constructed for Vrije Basisschool Virgo Maria for the kindergarten and the first year of primary school. Taking into account the strict planning requirements (part of the site is designated as a green zone and therefore could not be built on), the specific characteristics of the site (elongated, with subterranean masses) and the school's desire for a compact building, the new building was constructed on the site of the existing building. A multifunctional hall is located in the centre of the building and forms the heart of the school around which the different clusters are arranged. The clusters are always formed by the two or three classes of this age group and have a common corridor which can be used as a learning area. In addition, the building contains a dormitory, a management area, care rooms and a teachers' room. On the north side, the new building is one storey; on the south side, it is two storeys high. The roof slopes from south to north, giving the classrooms a variable height. On the north side of the building there are private gardens near the kindergarten classrooms, and on the south side a large green area has been created as a playground.

 

Willemen Construct came into being on 1 July 2018 as a result of the merger between Willemen General Contractor and the construction department of Kumpen.

 
location 

Project Details

Contractor
Terlindenhofstraat 206-220, Merksem, Antwerpen, Belgium
Client 
Scholen van Morgen
Price 
€3.100.000
Architects 
Geurst & Schulze Architecten
Temporary partnership 
Willemen General Contractor, Cordeel
Surface area above ground 
1 900m²
Construction period
1 year 4 months
Start work
10-2015
End of work
02-2017