Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

Community School Nieuw-Crooswijk

This is a project by De Zwarte Hond and it is located at Rotterdam, Netherlands. There are nine images for Community School Nieuw-Crooswijk.

: © Brakkee & Scagliola

Project images

Designer's statement

After winning the European Tender, De Zwarte Hond signed the contract to design this Community School. This design is the first tangible development in the much-discussed restructuring of the area. Within a sensitive cultural and historic context, De Zwarte Hond has created a solid design that naturally manifests itself as the central focus for the area. The building includes a primary school, school care, day care centre, community centre and a public gym.

The small plot, located on the outskirts of the Roman Catholic Cemetery, made for a complex urban integration that has resulted in a bright and open building and a new icon for the developing area.

Several measures were taken to realise a healthy indoor climate and ensure low energy consumption. There is balanced ventilation with heat recovery. Throughout the building, both radiators and under floor heating have been installed to reduce draft and dust. The prefab concrete construction provides good accumulation (reduction of unnecessary temperature fluctuations by mass). The windows on the south façade have blinds, with the adjacent trees forming a natural shade in summer and letting sunlight through during the winter.

The new community school Nieuw-Crooswijk is leading the restructing of the area and bringing local residents together.

Details/Credits

Client: Municipality Rotterdam
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Program: Community school, with community centre Nieuw-Crooswijk, Primary school Pierre Bayle and child day care, school care and a gym.
Project team: Willem Hein Schenk, Bart van Kampen, Bernhard Jaarsma, Anja Lubke, Lex Vermazen, Lieke Genten
Surface: 3.670 m2
Start design: April 2005
Construction start: January 2008
Completion: August 2009
Photographs: Brakkee & Scagliola, Rob Koenen