The campus of the 'Koninklijk Atheneum Etterbeek' is located on the site of a former castle park in Etterbeek. The project involved building a new nursery school and redeveloping the outdoor space. The implantation of the school preserved all the greenery that was present. The landscaping of the surroundings brings significance: the construction of a small amphitheatre, seating areas around trees, a play hill...
The building itself is inviting and has a clear and legible plan in which all functions are brought together under one large gable roof. The ten classrooms are clustered L-shaped around a multipurpose room, which opens up to the outdoor play area. Six classrooms and the multipurpose room are on the ground floor. Upstairs there are four classrooms and the necessary utility rooms. The classrooms are clustered in pairs around a common entrance hall and sanitary facilities. Five classrooms have a "window" to the multifunctional hall. The outer walls are finished with a cladding of thermally treated wood.
Together with the green roof, the building fits in perfectly with its green surroundings. In addition to its intrinsic sustainable qualities, this design also aspires to be a healthy school, with a good indoor climate, constructed from healthy materials and with minimal energy consumption.
This kindergarten was built according to the passive house standard. It has been subsidised by the Flemish Community as one of twenty-four "passive school" pilot projects and has been selected by the Brussels Institute for Environmental Management as an "exemplary Energy and Eco-construction building".
