Koning Willem I College (KW1C)
Architect: Nieuwe Architecten
Location: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
Type: Educational
Year: 2022
Photographs: Stijn Poelstra
The following description is courtesy of the architects. The new building for the Koning Willem I College (KW1C) in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL) is a progressive 5-storey educational building with a completely wooden main supporting structure. A conscious and responsible building that tries to set an example for new generations of students.
A cutting-edge design that shows the possibilities of circular material use, with maximum flexibility and adaptability, a building to accomodate education and to educate itself.
A new face at the Education Boulevard
The KW1C, a complex of about 22,000 m2, was previously hidden behind a parking lot. With the realization of the entrance building, it will be more accessible and beautifully visible on the Education Boulevard. The choice for a main supporting structure in wood in combination with a glass facade immediately shows the special practical education that is given here on a daily basis.
All-wood load-bearing structure
Diagonal beams providing stability are placed in the facade, making freely divisible floors possible. The apparently simple wooden knots hide a great complexity of connections in the transmission of forces. The lamination of the wood includes steel plates and connections that transfer the forces with steel pins (over 15,000 pieces!) in the meeting of columns and beams. The wood covers all steel connections in such a way that a fire-resistant shell is created. Despite the relatively light wooden construction, there is sufficient mass in the building by combining it with concrete hollow-core slabs. This limits sound transmission and introduces mass for accumulating capacities. Due to extensive engineering and prefabrication, the main construction was realized in just 3 months.
A legible building
The zoned technical installation has been extensively designed, with all ducting in sight. All provisions for voids have been designed and were prefabricated in the wooden construction. In order to show the technology and functioning of the building to the students, the technical area (which is normally placed as a closed box on the roof) has been placed in the entrance hall with a large glass front. The performance of the solar panels and other installations can be read out on screens. Various closed walls are provided with 1:1 architectural drawings, so everyone can imagine what happens behind. The building shows what you can do with materials, how it is built, how things are put together. In addition QR codes are placed on building and installation parts to obtain educational information.
From the outside, the stairs, structure, spaces and the movement of people, show the new entrance building as an exciting, vibrant environment, where students receive the best technology education possible, every day.
Adaptable to educational needs
Every year the layout of educational space is transformed drastically by the client. The wish for a flexible building was therefor strong. But how do you ensure quality in a building that is subject to so much change? Proposing the load-bearing structure in wood not only makes the sustainability ambitions visible, but ensures a robust structure that gives an always present basic quality to the flexible interior. The floorplans can be planned within a strong modularity of 2m zones with standardized elements that are interchangeable and an installation that follows this modularity. The interior is designed to maintain value of material and the ability to retain this value throughout its lifecycle. Conscious and integrated products and materials with a circular approach limit waste during the building phase and reuse of elements during users phase.
Non-impact building
Due to the mass in the concrete floors of the building, the heat accumulation capacity can be utilized despite the light main load-bearing structure. The floors keep the building at a consistent temperature with underfloor heating. With hybrid climate ceilings the various room temperatures can be adjusted to the needs of individual users. This entire low-temperature system is fed from air-water heat pumps, integrated solar panels and is prepared to connect to a future district heating network. Thanks to this low-tech system and integrated external solar screens, it was possible to design a glass facade making the wooden structure fully visible to its surroundings. A zero-energy building, comfortable and with low impact to the environment and climate.
This new sustainable educational building is an example for the possibilities of conscious, sustainable and circular use of materials, with visible installations, technology and connections, healthy, zero-energy-use, a modular and flexible building that can respond to the changes of ever changing education.
Project Details
- Project: Renewal Onderwijsboulevard 03
- Location: Onderwijsboulevard 03, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
- Client: Koning Willem I College
- Type assignment:
- Secondary vocational education
- New construction and renovation
- Project area/Size:
- New construction: 6501m2 GFA
- Renovation: 2109 m2 GFA
- Constructional engineer: Pieters Bouwtechniek Delft
- Installation advisor: Klictet Oisterwijk
- Fire safety and building physics consultant: Zri
- Contractor: Heerkens van Bavel BV
- Wood subcontractor: Heko Spanten
- Photography and video: Stijn Poelstra
- Delivery: 1st june 2021
- Design team Nieuwe Architecten: Roderik van der Meulen, Joep Windhausen, Riemer Postma, Dirk Gevers, Alvaro Saez O’Farrell
