Valkenbos Montessori schools
Valkenbos Montessori schools
Valkenbos Montessori schools
Flexibel classrooms for a flexible school program
The building houses the Christian and Public Montessori Schools and other facilities in a unique way. In this new and contemporary building, much more far-reaching cooperation is possible than was previously expected. The structure also allows for other uses in the future. The unique exchange rooms play a major role in this. Thanks to these flexible and multifunctional rooms, the individual schools can become more compact and, at the same time, the classrooms and corridors can be reached more flexibly than usual. The rooms can also be used by the BSO. Exchanging such rooms makes it possible to make optimal use of the building throughout the day and therefore has a positive influence on the occupancy rate.
The building is characterized by a clear structure. The classrooms are located on both sides of the street with the communal facilities in the middle between the schools; two playrooms, a handicraft room, a music room and a media library. However, the six classrooms for after-school care are spread throughout the building. The daycare center shares the entrance with the OMS, but the 0-4 year olds do have their own base.
The Cederstraat and the Abeelstraat do not promote security and safety for school children. These are relatively narrow connecting streets with a predominance of 3-storey portico houses. The narrow streets are designed for one-way traffic with two-way parking. The parking pressure is high and parked cars determine the streetscape. To guarantee a child-friendly environment, it was decided to follow the school's existing footprint, so that the original position of the Montessori Public School on Cederstraat was maintained. The large playground that was created as a result offers space, and the monumental trees could thus also be preserved at the location.
On the Abeelstraat, the former volume that stood across the entire width of the façade line has been partially restored. In this way, a playground was also created here for the Christian Montessori School that is enclosed on three sides and the Abeelstraat got light and air.
The facades of the school building frame the schoolyards and connect to the existing buildings. The building structure of the building is recognisable in the facades; there is one large opening per group space. The large fronts in the façade consist of bronze anodized frames and large white panels. On the ground floor, the entrances are highlighted by white stucco volumes.
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