Het Element Amersfoort

Amersfoort, NL

How do you create a healthy learning environment in an industrial area?

Amersfoort

Het Element Amersfoort

Het Element school offers VMBO education at different levels by means of ‘club houses’. The old building on Kaliumweg is outdated and no longer meets the school’s educational vision. Het Element will therefore have a new building on the Kaliumweg. The new building will also house the students of the Hooglandseweg school and the Language Centre.

The new building is located in the middle of the Industriekwartier: an industrial area. There is a beautiful green field in front of the school, but in the current set-up the area is often dominated by trucks. As a result, the old building has become increasingly introverted. The challenge lies in creating a healthy, safe and green environment in the industrial area.

Part of the green area

Green triangles

The Industriekwartier as the development of the future

A good learning environment is a healthy and transparent learning environment

A good learning environment is a healthy and transparent learning environment. By opting for a compact volume, a number of advantages arise: extra green outdoor spaces, short walking routes and a lively central heart with which all the club houses connect. By connecting the outdoor space of the school with the adjacent green field, a spacious and safe green zone is created in front of the building. This frontal zone runs directly into the building via the entrance and leads to a green roof terrace. The plan is built around a generic column grid, which guarantees flexibility in the future.

Het Element Amersfoort

The Element in Amersfoort encompasses the new construction of two secondary schools (VMBO), three sports halls, a dojo, a Language Center, and the new outdoor space for approximately 1,000 students. In its design, De Zwarte Hond opted for a robust building with a focus on small scale and tranquility.

The Element offers education at different levels within one building using 'clubhouses,' which provide a sense of security and the opportunity for students to work at their own level. The building has 9 clubhouses, each with its own facilities, such as practical rooms and theory classrooms.

Located on Kaliumweg in the Industrial Quarter of Amersfoort, next to the green quarantine field, the inviting entrance to this field welcomes students, teachers, and visitors. They are guided through the central heart of the building to a green and intimate rooftop terrace. From this central heart, all clubhouses are accessible, but each clubhouse also has its own staircase, ensuring separate traffic flows and a calm learning environment.

The building has a homely atmosphere with plenty of daylight and a clear, robust architecture, utilizing honest materials. The site layout enhances the outdoor space with a raised forecourt and green zones around the school, significantly improving the quality of the industrial environment.