The Urban Architecture studio (titlde; Material Lives) explored the merit of small scale interventions in an ‘unremarkable’ primary school building from the 1980’s, built using prefabricated concrete columns and floors and brick facades panels. The matter of small but fruitful interventions in our existing buildings can be seen as increasingly relevant in a milieu where contemporary design and building practices simply cannot be sustained. A heightened sensitivity towards the material natures of both the pre-existing and the proposed intervention became leading throughout the whole process. After collectively researching and rebuilding the complete building on scale 1_36 with all the students in the studio, different interventions were proposed by smaller subgroups. The decision was made to, in collaboration with Danil Oort and Bo Vissers, create a new entrance directly facing the street.

With the design, we strive to strengthen both new and pre-existing connections between the neighbourhood, the school and the courtyard behind by providing a new entrance that directly borders the street. A warm and open entrance is made using simple engineered timber elements, thus introducing a contrast in texture and appearance to both the interior and exterior whilst simultaneously appreciating the systematized and industrialized nature of the building.

Materials used in final 1_6 model:
Painted foam, Triplex, Laminated pinewood, Solid pine wood, Perspex, Brass coated hinges, Painted styrene, Painted stick, Wood-glue

Materials represented:
Brick, Reinforced concrete, Laminated Veneer Lumber, Laminated pinewood, Solid pine wood, Glass, Brass coated hinges, Brass, Led tube, Screws