School Extension

A school in a wooded area in Rumst had plans to expand. We preserved the natural landscape by dividing the programme over two floors and folding the structure between the most beautiful trees. The new volume combines the orthogonality of the existing school with the oblique orientation of the site. Three by three, the classrooms are linked to a small multifunctional space from which they are accessed. Thanks to mobile walls, the plan achieves the maximum level of flexibility. Classes work as individual units in the mornings and in clusters of three during the afternoons. Refined detailing, such as the eyelash-like protrusions above the windows, lends a playful and engaging character to the red corrugated building. The carefully designed interior shell is a strong backdrop for the energetic clutter that is generated by teaching.