kraaijvanger •

The design for the new construction of the Penta College CCS De Oude Maas is based on the so-called ‘home base’ – a term used by the school to denote a cluster of approximately 120 students. The home base concept expresses the school’s ambition to create a safe, recognisable learning environment for the students. In the plan, this concept has resulted in six building components – with a single component being able to accommodate a home base on each floor. The building components are organised in two wings around a central open zone that houses the entrance square, a patio and a court garden.

The design of the facades follows a specific pattern, resulting in a lively exterior. The facades in the intermediate zone acquire a different expression: horizontal cladding in silver-grey tones. The entrance hall and the connecting section have been kept as transparent as possible thanks to the copious use of glass. The boundaries of the school property are demarcated by a unique fence: it is double-height at the schoolyard, and proceeds in front of the green court adjacent to the side facade as a steel frame along the full building height. This element serves to connect the two building components.

year
2005 - 2009

client
VCVO Rotterdam

GFA
11,000 m²

project team
Richard Fung, Vincent van der Meulen, Wouter Deen