Primary school De Verwondering - Better learning through biodiversity and biophila
De Verwondering is the culmination of biophilic design, regenerative building methods and biodiverse landscaping. Better learning and more awareness of biodiversity through biobased architecture
Local
Netherlands
Almere
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): ORGA architect Type of organisation: For-profit company First name of representative: Gijs Last name of representative: Bruggink Gender: Male Nationality: Netherlands Function: General manager Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Van Goorstraat 4 Town: Nijmegen Postal code: 6512ED Country: Netherlands Direct Tel:+31 24 663 6354 E-mail:gijsbruggink@orga-architect.nl Website:https://www.orga-architect.nl/
We 21st century people live in an increasingly urban and technical society, further and further removed from our natural origin. Whole generations are growing up with tv’s and computer screens as their windows to the world. By leaving nature out of our educational environments we’re missing the chance to connect our future leaders and engineers with its important benefits. A worrying prospect considering the challenge society faces with our rapidly changing climate.
Biophilic architecture seeks to fundamentally (re)connect us to nature through its presence in architecture, interior design and landscape. There is no better place to start doing this than with our youngest generations. De Verwondering in Almere is a primary school based on biophilic principles which aims to do exactly that. Not only through their teaching programs but also through its physical environment: the interior and exterior spaces of the biobased school building itself.
Biophilia, representations of nature, have a two pronged effect on the school’s pupils. On the one hand they help to create the optimal learning environment by providing healthy spaces that trigger curiosity and the urge to discover in pupils. They have longer attention spans, are able to focus better on challenging tasks and recover faster afterwards running and playing outdoors on the natural playground.
On the other hand the pupils become aware of the natural processes and biodiversity at an early age and discover that when you take care of nature you will be rewarded with beauty and new life in return. They experience on a daily basis that natural cycles like the change of the seasons, the weather elements, decay & regrowth are all normal and a part of life. This fosters a sense of responsibility and respect for the natural world in children which is currently lacking in many adults.
De Verwondering: better learning and more awareness of biodiversity and climate through nature-based regenerative architecture
Biophilic architecture
Regenerative building
Biodiversity awareness
Fostering responsibility for nature
Optimal learning conditions
De Verwondering is a fully detachable biobased building and its architectural design is fully embedded in the natural cycle of the circular economy. It’s a hybrid wooden building: part cross laminated timber, part timber frame construction. The materials for insulation, interior & exterior cladding, flooring and furniture are all of bio or plant based origin.
The building's components are easily detachable and all materials used have been registered in a materials passport (Madaster) for efficiënt reuse in the future. Trees and green walls are considered an integral part of the building, providing shading and protection from heat.
Our guiding design principle was 'low tech, natural solutions where possible and high tech where necessary'. Low-tech elements such as optimal orientation to the sun, vapor open wall systems, natural ventilation and sun shading by trees are combined with high-tech installations that provide sustainable energy and seasonal buffering.
De Verwondering has its own sources of renewable energy: an array of PV panels, an integrated energy roof and an ice vat buffering system. This innovative system combines an underground tank filled with ice and energy from the sun to provide a long term temperature buffering system. It heats the building when cold, cools the building when warm and provides hot water. It utilizes the exothermic capacities of the freezing process: as a liquid changes to a solid, heat is released and the other way around.
The building is ventilated as naturally as possible. Each room has its own climate shutter, which can be left open 24 hours a day without any concerns for security. The main hall has two vent shafts which, when open, create a chimney effect by drawing out used air: a completely natural ventilation loop.
This biobased regenerative school building sets a new standard for future school design in the Netherlands and beyond our borders.
In addition to the biophilic learning methods and the use of natural building materials, nature has also been the guiding principle for the architectural design. The floor plan shows an organic layout, roughly modeled on a tree leaf with two longer leaves. It has three clusters of classrooms arranged naturally around the central space. The upper floor is largely transparent with expansive window frames flooding the interior in daylight and offering sightlines to the green playground and surrounding community in all directions.
The biomimetic roof structure of the central area resembles a large leaf, with the wooden beams forming the veins. The structure is supported by large peeled tree trunks, revealing the wooden structure to the occupants in a highly visible and tangible way. Apparently, the urge to touch these is overwhelming. The teachers remarked that almost everyone who walks by runs their fingers over the smoothly textured wood.
Interior finishes include wood, cork, clay and straw. All tangible and visible to the schools’ pupils. Over time, parts of the interior walls will also be overgrown with ivy and climbing plants, just like the façade. The lower levels and awnings have sedum green roofs and the exterior façade has an alternating finish of wooden cladding and grids that will eventually guide the growth of ivy and other climbing plants all the way to the roof.
The building’s biophilic and natural design increases the quality of experience for the occupants as well as the residents of the neighborhood. The green outer walls , green roofs and natural schoolyard provide a location of rich biodiversity, reduced air pollution, water storage, lower noise pollution and a cool effect during periods of warm weather. In addition, there is the established positive effect on health and social connections of people who live, work and recreate in a green environment.
Nature is everyone’s place of origin and everyone has a deeply rooted connection to nature. In that sense, natural design is inherently inclusive. All humans, regardless of race and social background, still have 99% naturally encoded DNA. In fact, we haven’t yet evolved that far away from our ancestors who lived outdoors in the steppes, deserts, hills and forests. Sleeping under the stars in the wilderness of open nature. The more nature you have in your own environment, the better you feel. That goes for everyone.
In order to create a school building that instinctively feels good for everyone, regardless of background or diversity, connecting to nature is the obvious starting point and really should be used as a main guide in any architectural design. Its healthy and comforting presence should be easily accessible and affordable for all, even in the middle of the city.
This building forms a green focal point for the neighbourhood In the city of Almere, visible to all. The schoolyard and playground are accessible for all to enjoy. Kids that live nearby are seen playing on the school grounds after hours and on the weekends. During the day, elderly citizens can often be found on benches near the school, entertained by the busy spectacle of kids running around on the playground.
Growing and flowering green walls from ivy will grow bigger and more beautiful over the years. The playground is laid out naturally: trees, edible plants, fallen tree trunks, water and sand. Both the building and the schoolyard are equipped with nesting boxes for birds, bats and other small mammals and insects and form a complete ecosystem. At night, the building is dark for nocturnal animals. Living nature is part of the building in so many ways, providing an example of how urban buildings can also provide a place of biodiversity and natural regrowth, even in the middle of a city!
The naturally inspired school building of De Verwondering has an enormous positive influence on the urban area surrounding it. Its striking wooden features and the lush green playgrounds around it form the focal point of a newly erected neighbourhood in Almere. Because of this appeal the school attracts numerous local initiatives that request using the building for their social gatherings. There is an after school daycare organisation, an exercise class for the elderly and there are several hobby groups that have started to make use of the spaces in the building after hours. While primarily designed as an educational building the green and natural atmosphere of the location clearly holds wider appeal which has caused it to gradually evolve into a hub of social activity for the local community.
Our opinion as architectural designers is that, from a social point of view, all schools should be designed this way, into deserving environments in which we educate and raise our children. Many scientific studies showing the benefits of a biophilic building. Here are some of the results:
- 96% of all children prefer outdoors to an indoor location
- Exposure to daylight increases learning ability by 20 to 25%.
- A biophilic learning environment increases test scores by 5 to 15%.
- Reduces staff changes, absenteeism and presentism
- Tactile environment activates, relaxes and reduces stress
- Increased physical activity, considerably lessening the chance of obesity
- Increased development of motor functions
- Increased development of curiousness and imagination
- Fewer cases of ADHD related issues
Ultimately, society as a whole will benefit (also financially) from a healthy natural learning environment for all our children.
Making room for local stakeholders and occupants to bring their knowledge and practical experience into the project was a logical component of the design phase. Think global, act local!
Gathering input from occupants and stakeholders started with everyone from the existing school. We organised several workshops with the school board, management, teacher groups and even the pupils. We asked them how they worked now and what could be improved. Several educational experts provided support and examples from other school projects. This gave us a great knowledge base from where we could start making the first design choices.
During the design phases we had the opportunity to link up with the Floriade Expo 2022, the international horticultural exhibition that takes place once every 10 years. Their main theme of Growing Green Cities fitted seamlessly with the plans for the school and during several visits we were able to exchange lots of knowledge and inspiration.
Bringing together a coherent and likeminded project team early on is crucial for the success of innovative projects. Getting everyone on board with the direction of the design and setting common goals will streamline the entire process.
In the run up to the project we sat down with the client to reframe and further develop the project brief and the sustainability ambitions in the program. Then we made a list of the disciplines and expertises needed to make this program reality. Finding the right consultants and technical advisors from these disciplines was the final step towards forming the project team.
In the case of De Verwondering we came up with the following team (in addition to the architects and clients):
- Energy and installation consultant who was familiar with our type of sustainable building design
- Structural engineer firm with great expertise in timber construction
- Ecologist to design and create a biodiverse micro-ecosystem in and around the school building
- Interior designer specialised in biophilic design and biobased furniture and finishes
Well performing and sustainable school buildings are common sight nowadays in the Netherlands, with energy-neutral buildings even being required by law these days. There is also an increasing amount of wooden buildings, including schools. More and more buildings pay extra attention to including nature and promoting biodiversity. However, with the design of this school we’ve taken all of these aspects to another level.
The structure is built almost entirely of natural and bio-based materials and the architecture is based on natural and biophilic principles. Biodiversity and regenerative principles are integrated on a fundamental level into the design of the building and its surroundings. Even the technology is based on natural principles with the natural ventilation system and an underground tank filled with ice as an energy buffer system. The motto of the project team was: ‘natural, low tech solutions where possible, high tech where necessary!’
The primary school De Verwondering is among the first of its kind in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe. Maybe even in the rest of the world, judging on the many positive responses we’ve gotten internationally. Nature was not just applied as a design tool here, it’s the core principle behind the project: the school is nature. That is probably the reason that makes this building so unique and appealing to many.
Biophilic design, the main design principle behind this project, is a universally applicable design vision and not limited to only the education sector or even to only new buildings. Increasing the presence of nature in the built environment reconnects us humans with our inherent bond with nature that is still deeply encoded in our DNA.
In our current highly urbanised environment this has an enormous potential for improving our mental focus, ability to recover and general well-being. There is a considerable amount of research that shows positive effects on not only the learning results in education, but also the recovery rate of patients, the satisfaction rate of hotel guests, sales results in retail environments and productivity of employees at companies in general.
A clear indication of this is the fact that De Verwondering received the coveted Golden Frog award 2021 for the Most Sustainable Building Project in the Netherlands. A recognition for exemplary sustainable building design, across all sectors!
This really is a trend that should be looked at on a governmental level, and not only in the Netherlands. Integrating more biophilic elements to school systems would improve the educational and physical development of hundreds of thousands of children every year. Improving the school experience this way will increase the social cohesion and the rate of school retention as students move through the education system, which in turn has huge economic implications.
National recognition:
- Most Sustainable Building in the Netherlands and awarded with the coveted Golden Frog award 2021.
- Selected by an independent jury of building professionals as the national winner of the Green Cities Award 2021 and chosen to represent our country at the European Green Cities Award 2021 in Brussels.
- Best Practice Award 2021 for Nature Inclusive Design from the Bird & Animal Protection Agencies
In our effort to provide a complete and in depth view on our educational design initiative we’ve already provided lots of information on the topic of methodology. For that reason we will suffice with some bullet points in this space and kindly refer you to the information above and below.
- A biophilic design approach to architecture and interior design
- Biodiverse learning environment, challenging pupils to explore and discover nature and fostering a feeling of responsibility for the natural world.
- Regenerative construction methods, both in materials and techniques
- Prioritizing the formation of a coherent and like minded project team in the run up to the design phase
- Bringing in all necessary expertise and input from stakeholders and occupants in the design process
Our design team approached the project through a combination of regenerative building methods and biophilic design. Setting goals for our built environment that simply ‘sustain’ the current way we do things is no longer sufficient. The pressure of climate change is forcing us to think beyond the net zero approach and apply building methods that will allow nature and the climate to restore and regenerate. Each building project should really be considered as an opportunity to do so.
The application includes a set of schematics of the project that show how we’ve chosen to tackle global challenges in this design. We kindly refer to those to provide an overview of all the local solution we have included in the architecture of De Verwondering.
- Global Challenge: disconnection from nature, ‘nature deficit disorder’ - See the schematic ‘Connections to nature’.
- Global Challenge: loss of biodiversity - See both the schematics ‘Biodiverse & nature inclusive’ and ‘Biodiverse section’
- Global challenge: climate change - See the schematic ‘Regenerative & biobased building’
[The result of our design initiative is a completed building project as is evident in the fully functional school building, which has been in use for about two years. Scope of progress of implementation could therefore be regarded as finished and the maturity level as 100%. Because of this reason we didn't include a demonstration of maturity below.]
Since the opening we’ve received a considerable amount of feedback from a multitude of sources:
De Verwondering is seen as a progressive design and widely received as an inspirational example of future school building. There have now been some 40 publications in professional journals, newspapers and magazines and a multitude of that number in blogs and publications on websites. Many of those are from the Netherlands, of course, but also from the rest of Europe (including Belgium, France, Germany) and even from Japan.
There have been numerous visits and requests for guided tours at the school during construction and after completion from:
- The municipality and its citizens and local residents
- Governmental agencies
- Architects, consultants, builders and contractors
- School boards, teachers and educational institutions
But what do the people think who the building was made for?
The current headmaster is part of the group of staff and pupils that moved from the existing more conventional school building to De Verwondering. She has been keeping a special eye on the behaviour and wellbeing of pupils in this new biophilic and natural building since its opening and there are many positive indications. Children are noticeably calmer, seem more focused on their work, show less signs of hyperactivity, take less sick leave and perform better in test results. The staff has also benefited from the move to the new building. Teachers are absent less often, report less work stress related issues and are really happy with their new workplace. There is even a waiting list of teachers eager to work here!
The architectural design of De Verwondering focuses on competences in three of the four main areas of the European Sustainability Competence Framework:
Embodying sustainability values - Promoting nature
Every aspect of the school building acknowledges the fact that humans are a part of nature and strives to strengthen that bond, directly combatting ‘nature deficit disorder’ by fostering a connection with and a responsibility for nature in our youngest generations.
Embracing complexity in sustainability - Systems Thinking
One of the main design concepts is that of ‘nesting’, the idea that each entity is nested within a larger entity and forms the nest of smaller entities. (see the schematic 'School ecosystem'). We see the entity of the school and the playground as the Biotope for the school's pupils. Nested in the Biotope is the Habitat, the cluster of classrooms for pupils of a certain age group and their adjacent age groups. Nested in the Habitat is the Ecotope, the classroom with only pupils of a certain age.
Creating a natural ecosystem in and around the school to foster awareness of biodiversity in nature in the pupils was also an important goal for our project team.
Acting for sustainability - Individual initiative
Showing our community and country the way by our individual actions as an architecture firm lies at the core of our company’s mission. We strive to design and build as physical examples of regenerative building as possible to drive practical implementation of new material and technical innovations forward. That way people can visit our buildings and experience personally what a ‘good’ building looks and feels like. De Verwondering is an excellent example of this. The building and design flawlessly demonstrate how a biophilic design approach can create an educational environment that stimulates learning, increases results and improves well-being. Moreover, the school teaches children to treat nature and the environment responsibly.
