How can a school serve as a future landmark for the neighbourhood?
Katwijk
Integrated Children’s Centre
Existing situation
The new IKC+ Katwijk is an integrated children’s centre located on the site of the De Windvang primary school. It offers space for children aged 0-13 in the form of regular primary education, special education, youth care and childcare. The ‘plus’ stands for sports facilities in the form of a modern sports hall. The former De Windvang building was completely demolished and merged with the neighbouring Dalton School Katwijk.
An integrated children’s centre is an identity carrier for all its users. The IKC+ Katwijk houses De Windvang primary school, sports, Aloysius youth care, KOK childcare and Cardea youth care. The building is therefore much more than just a school. The question was how to create this shared identity.
Cosy, interconnected spaces
The IKC+ Katwijk is an elongated building with various homely spaces along a central axis – an inner street – that acts as the backbone of the building. The sports, child care, youth care and education departments each have their own domain within the building but are closely connected by this central axis. This symbolises the unity of the different functions and provides a physical link between all the spaces in the building.
The inner street of the IKC+ Katwijk is where youngsters learn to play, celebrate, meet, socialise and exercise. It has alcoves, cosy spots and high voids for extra daylight, and extends as far as the sports hall. On the outside, the inner street is visible through the raised ‘crest’, which forms a strong silhouette on the gable. In this way, the interior and exterior spaces form a recognisable whole.
Inviting entrances
The lower and upper levels each have their own inviting entrance. The main entrance to the lower level is located under the projecting ‘crest’ at the end, while the upper level has a central entrance on the long side. A large outdoor clock above this entrance is visible from the playground. The entrance to the sports hall is also available for weekend use.
The multi-purpose sports hall is located at the end of the building and the play areas are connected to the learning area and the central axis by sliding walls. This provides a flexible and adaptable space at the heart of the building, which is particularly important during the teaching week. The design is future proof, with the option for expansion on the roof, where both the design and construction are tailored for this.
The children’s scale and timeless façade design give identity to the building
The 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. By extending the windows on the ground floor almost to the floor, children can actually step outside from inside, simply by stepping over the benches.
The end façades are strikingly detailed, contrasting with the rest of the building. There is no relief here, but this contributes to the strong symmetrical silhouette of the building. The façade is made of special brickwork in different bonds, with a neutral tone-on-tone mortar. This combines well with the bronze-coloured anodised aluminium frames and the 32 solid travertine benches in the façade. These materials create a maintenance-free façade that will age beautifully over time and can withstand a few knocks.
A smart building
The building is energy neutral and climate adaptive. There are solar panels on the green roofs that light the classrooms, and in the basement there is a collective thermal energy storage system (TES) that could be used by the whole neighbourhood in the future.
The building has a healthy indoor climate and the spaces along the façade, such as the classrooms, are equipped with decentralised ventilation units. The air supply and return passes through the façade, and the grilles here are beautifully concealed in the architecture. This makes the technical installation adaptable and easy to adjust. Large air ducts that need to move a lot of air are limited, so less material is used and energy consumption is low. In addition, the building has large windows for plenty of daylight, and these can be opened for ventilation. The brick ribs on the east and west sides act as fixed structural sunshades into which screens are inserted.
1. Brickword: cross bond created using false joints
2. Aluminum frames: anodised in color
3. Sill: travertine
4. Integrated ventilation system: powder-coated steel, angled bars
First Floor
Second Floor
IKC+ Katwijk
IKC+ Katwijk is a multi-functional building for various users and houses regular and specialised primary education. There is also a childcare centre, the Cardea family support service and a modern gym. The new IKC+ combines education, care and services in one building.
Connection and cooperation are at the heart of the design. The architecture encourages encounters between students and cooperation between partners. Sport, childcare, youth care and education each have their own domain within the building, but are closely connected by the central axis. The central axis forms the physical connection between all the spaces in the building and symbolises the collaboration between the different functions. This ‘inner street’ has niches, spots and high voids with extra daylight and continues into the sports hall.
From 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 spaces form a recognisable whole.
The housing for IKC+ Katwijk is built for growth and is therefore sustainable. For example, the possibility of an additional storey has been taken into account in the supporting structure. The classrooms are lit by solar panels on the roof, and the basement contains a thermal energy storage system (TES) that could be used by the entire neighbourhood in the future.
details
- Project
- IKC+ Katwijk
- Location
- Katwijk, NL
- Size
- 3.900 m²
- Period
- 2019-2024
- Client
- Gemeente Katwijk, Stichting Openbaar Basisonderwijs Duin- en Bollenstreek, Aloysius Stichting, Cardea Jeugdzorg en KOK Kinderopvang
- Discipline
- Architecture
- Program
- Education
- Status
- Completed
- Photography
- Bas Gijselhart
- Partners
- Blanksma (Aannemer)
- More info
- bd@dezwartehond.nl
