EXISTING SITE AND BUILDING
The success and related growth of the Maurick College – built in the 1970s – has led to a number of pragmatic and often temporary extensions and therefore many incoherent and less functional set of building parts with questionable architectural qualities.
The existing Maurick College as we found it consists of various building parts without much spatial cohesion: a three storey main building with traditional layout and little to none internal transparency, long corridors, an isolated media library and two detached building parts. The central auditorium having a poor acoustics and without any visual connection with the green wooded area. The beautiful view at the north side is hidden behind temporary buildings with poor quality. The routing in and around the school has become unclear and the Dalton education – choosing from responsibility, independence and cooperation – is hardly recognizable, if at all.
FUTURE PROOF: FLEXIBILITY, DOUBLE USE AND HEALTHY INDOOR CLIMATE
The architectural structure is open. Except from the load-bearing facade, the columns, staircases and washrooms all partitions can be moved. The central axis is not only the connecting corridor and meeting space for the students but also a place to work, together with others or more individually.
The indoor climate has been improved by means of an energy efficient balanced ventilation system and electrically controlled external sun protection in combination with new window frames with double glazing.
Passive summer cooling with night ventilation has been made possible through electrically driven opening frames in the façades and the – mainly green – roofs. The higher roofs are provided with sun power solar panels.
A PLACE TO MEET: THEATER AND DANCE
The Maurick College is very active as a theater and dance school and is renowned for the performances given by students. By means of new and better acoustics, professional lighting and blackout facilities de auditorium is also being used as a theater hall. The new gyms have storey-high pivot doors opening up towards the patios. In this way outside performances are held in a secured and safe environment.
Student: ‘In our old school things were much different. In the new school there is lots of space for all our learning activities: self-study, teamwork and instruction. All the spaces have a fresh atmosphere and are bright and colorful!’.