'De Zilverberk' Primary School Halle


awg architecten

  • Status:

    Design

  • Education type:

    GO! Education of the Flemish Community

  • Education level:

    Primary Education (pre-school + primary)

  • Address:

    Pastoor Bernaertstraat 28, 1500 Halle

  • Client:

    Scholengroep 9

  • Contest:

    Open Call 3

  • Programme:

    classrooms, multifunctional space, media centre, rooms for naps

  • Area:

    2301m2

  • Number of classrooms:

    13 nursery school classrooms and 4 primary school classrooms


A modular building system

This flourishing primary school is situated in Halle on a site which borders on two streets. The site has one permanent building (the primary school) and a number of temporary pavilions and prefabricated classrooms. The intention is to replace these by a new building. The design comprises classrooms and a multifunctional space for a total area of 2031 m2.

Through a careful positioning of the two new volumes, the office of architects is trying to re-establish clarity and structure on this site.
Together with the existing school building, the new buildings create a common central space which serves as a clear and obvious backbone for this ‘community school’. The central square fits in with the urban structure of the local area; this is based on a recognition of the existing context and the logic of building in phases.

The actual buildings endeavour to achieve a plain and clear character. A far-reaching and logical building structure overcomes the problem of building costs, leaving room for any technical pipelines. The buildings form intelligent ‘ruins’ which can be used (or misused) by pupils and teachers. The plain architecture, both inside and outside, invites the children to express their imagination and take possession of the building. Instead of concentrating on a fussy building, the focus is on light, space and air. The designers consider that these are more essential elements in the education of children than a coloured wall.

The AWG office of architects concentrated on devoting as much attention to omitting excessive elements as on what was built. What is omitted is for reasons of economy, the quality of the environment, ease of maintenance, clarity, simple operation, sustainability, adaptability, poetry, and so on. This results in a timeless building where present and future generations of children can always find a home.