Skip to main content

Windwijzer Laarne

(Re)construction of a school

Customer
MUNICIPALITY OF LAARNE
Building place
Laarne, Belgium
Type of building
Sport and education
Sector
Public sector, Education
Project sheet
Windwijzer Laarne
The school's existing buildings in Laarne had become far too small for the current and desired programme. The buildings and their technical equipment were severely outdated and no longer met the required comfort. 
The school was temporarily relocated: partly to the local sports hall and partly to mobile classroom containers. This is for the sake of the children's safety, but also because it avoids having to work in phases. Construction can then proceed more quickly and the children can return to the school in the Schoolstraat in Laarne sooner.

The existing primary school will undergo a total renovation in accordance with today's EPB standards, the current requirements for school buildings and AGION's physical standard. All this while retaining the original appearance and façade materials. The outdated wooden exterior carpentry will be replaced by more maintenance-friendly exterior carpentry. On the existing ground level, floors will be broken up and completely renewed from concrete slab, insulation to floor finish. The non-insulated sloping roofs  will be insulated, and where necessary the roofing will be renewed. 

In addition, the existing buildings will be extended with a new building for the kindergarten, sports hall and after-school childcare centre, which will meet contemporary energy requirements and all modern comforts. The façade materials of the new building have been chosen to discretely fit in with the existing school and residential environment. 

The new sports hall is open at ground level, along the south and north façade, with glass sections, which provide a nice view from the playground of the woods behind. The sports hall forms an accent on the site like a "house in the landscape".

The nursery school and the sports hall are fluidly connected by means of a covered playground The roof of the covered playground simultaneously forms the floor for an above-ground playground for the after-school childcare centre. The above-ground playground offers a view of the central playground, without disturbing the neighbourhood.

Occupation is scheduled for September 2024.

ABETEC is responsible for Architecture, stability, techniques, infrastructure and EPB.