SBSO ‘Baken’ and MPIGO ‘Zonneken’ Sint-Niklaas


Abscis Architecten

  • Status:

    Design

  • Education type:

    GO! Education of the Flemish Community

  • Education level:

    Primary Education (pre-school + primary)

  • Address:

    Eeckhoornstraat, 9100 Sint-Niklaas

  • Client:

    AGIOn

  • Keywords:

    Masterplan


A functional new building for different institutions

There are two different institutions which have a place on the ‘Zonneken’ site in Sint-Niklaas: the ‘Baken’ secondary school for special education and the GO! Medical Pedagogical Institute (MPIGO) ‘Zonneken’, which comprises the day school, the boarding school and the part-time boarding school. Over the decades the institutions have found their place in different buildings spread over the site. There is a lack of spatial coherence, and the only landscape structure which exists on the site is an avenue of large copper beech trees. In order to provide easy access to the site Abscis Architecten have added a new road across the site, perpendicular to the avenue of trees. This ensures that children, teachers and supervisors, as well as parents and visitors, can find the way more easily. The new project will also be positioned along this central axis with several characteristic buildings.

The new building to be built through the DBFM procedure consists of two parts. One wing meets the need for additional classrooms for secondary education, a few remedial classrooms for the primary and secondary school, the necessary therapy rooms and paramedical rooms. The boarding house will be located in the second wing, with six age groups of eight children each and their supervisors. The managements of the three institutions have pooled their individual needs together. The designer aimed for the best possible connections between classrooms. ABSCIS has succeeded in saving a significant amount of space. This results in a win-win situation for the users of all three institutions. Therefore the new building will be useful for everyone.

In addition, maximum access must be provided with minimal means, and it will therefore largely be on the ground floor. A connecting bridge to the existing building of the BSBO De Baken also provides access to the second floor without the need for an additional lift.
ABSCIS compensates for the large footprint of the building with a green roof. The rainwater, which will no longer be able to permeate the subsoil directly, will be led to the sewage system more slowly by the green roof than by an ordinary flat roof. In addition, a green roof provides a good buffer against overheating in summer. The playful roof domes bring light into the building.