New IKC+ Katwijk combines education, care and services in one building
IKC+ (Integral Child Centre) Katwijk is a multifunctional building for a variety of users. It not only houses regular and specialized primary education, but also childcare, family support and – the ‘plus’ in its name – a modern sports hall. The building is therefore much more than just a school.
The challenge was to design a generic building that is logical and flexible. This was also what the users wished: although there are five different organizations, this is one building for all of them. We also wanted to create a building that would last at least 100 years and fit into the specific environment of Katwijk aan Zee.
A building for connection, collaboration and encounters
Connection is central to the design of IKC+ Katwijk. The architecture encourages encounters between students and collaboration between partners. IKC+ Katwijk is an elongated building with various homely spaces along a central axis – an inner street – that functions as the backbone of the building. This inner street with its niches, little squares and high voids for extra daylight, continues into the sports hall.
Each of the sports, childcare, youth services and education institutions have their own domain within the building, but are closely linked through this central axis. This comb-like architectural structure symbolizes the unity of the different functions and provides a physical link between all the spaces in the building.
With the entrance at its beginning and the large sports gymnasium at the end, the hall offers easy orientation. The central halls at the ends are high with a lowered section in between, giving a more intimate feel and the raised central roof allows plenty of daylight.
The classrooms on the outside are bright and uniform and located in multifunctional learning areas. Students from different schools can naturally meet each other in these dynamic, playful spaces.
A natural and sturdy façade
IKC+ Katwijk has a sand-coloured façade, constructed with large-format bricks, has deep set-backs along the long side with benches where children can sit and hide. A strong connection to the green outdoor space has been deliberately created to encourage outdoor play.
The façade is made of special bricks in different bonds, with a neutral, tone-on-tone joint. This blends well with the bronze-coloured anodized aluminum frames and the solid travertine façade benches. These materials create a maintenance-free façade that will age beautifully over time and can withstand the odd knock or two.
On the outside, the inner street is visible through the protruding ‘crest’, which forms a strong silhouette on the gable. In this way, the interior and exterior form a recognizable whole.
Sustainable in many ways
Not only is the building energy-neutral and climate-adaptive, but the green roofs have solar panels to light the classrooms. There is also a collective thermal energy storage system (TES) in the basement that could be used by the whole neighbourhood in the future. In addition, the housing for IKC+ Katwijk is built for growth and is sustainable in that sense as well. For example, the supporting structure takes into account a possible extension of six to eight classrooms on top of the roof.