'De Vlinder' Primary School Dilbeek


BULK Architecten

  • Status:

    Design

  • Education type:

    GO! Education of the Flemish Community

  • Education level:

    Primary Education (pre-school + primary)

  • Address:

    Kasteelstraat 76, 1700 Dilbeek

  • Client:

    GO! Community Education of the Flemish Community School group 9 ‘Ringscholen’

  • Contest:

    Open Call 16

  • Programme:

    classrooms, multifunctional space

  • Area:

    896 m2

  • Number of classrooms:

    7 new classrooms


Symbiosis of old and new

The nursery and primary school ‘De Vlinder’ lies on the edge of Dilbeek, surrounded by plots of land and sports fields. Both as regards the architecture and the configuration of the school buildings, this site is characteristic of the construction used in state education during the 1960s. The site consists of a main building with a concrete framework of two stories, a long low building with a corridor and classrooms on one side, a single-storey building with nursery classrooms and a small multifunctional hall, a building used as a dining hall, and two temporary pavilions to be demolished. These free-standing buildings have been positioned parallel or at right angles to the adjacent D’Arconatiestraat. With the new building of approximately 900 m2, comprising extra classrooms, a multifunctional hall and a staffroom, the client aims to construct a permanent, compact building.

Bulk Architecten resolutely opted to base the design that was requested on the current main building with its clear structure, despite the physical shortcomings. The proposed option of the intelligent ‘thickened’ beam means that it is possible to significantly restrict the total surface area of the façade and the footprint of building. This results in added value from the energy, ecological and economic point of view. An obvious sustainable solution is provided at a stroke, both for the new and for the existing building, and for the site as a whole. In addition, the Bulk Architecten’s proposal makes it possible to achieve a net spatial gain within the surface area limits imposed by the financial and physical norms of community education. After all, this norm adopts a gross/net factor of 1.4. As a result of the re-use of the existing corridor, there is a spatial margin which can be used to build additional floor space in consultation with the school. These ‘little bonuses’ increase the design’s generosity and ensure the buildings usefulness on the short and medium term. Other positive side effects of the design intervention include the internal spatial quality, the possibility of making changes and extending the building and the structural impact on the overall site. This results in a clear structure with a cluster of classrooms, two linked multifunctional spaces with toilets and more administrative area. This arrangement logically corresponds to the current distribution of functions across the site, and interacts with the proposed clear zoning of the outdoor space.

The proposal of Bulk Architecten shows how it is possible with a single intelligent measure to find a balance between respecting the existing, sustainability, compactness and spatial quality, and this at different levels. As the design not only delivers a new building, but at the same time aims to enhance the spatial quality of the existing buildings and the overall site, the ambitions for other school sites facing similar problems should be as high.