Expertex de Maere | reForm Architects

In this collaboration, we were appointed by a Client consortium to refurbish and extent De Maere Textile School in Enschede, The Netherlands to provide state of the art, flexible teaching spaces, offices, laboratories and support facilities within the existing National Monument.

The design draws a clear distinction between the original school and the new facilities, with the same attention to detail paid to the restorations of the 1920’s building as to the new laboratories. Working closely with the ‘Dutch Heritage’ , approval was secured for a new wing containing climatically controlled laboratory space with highly intensive plant and services requirements. This new laboratory building utilises efficient and innovative concrete technologies such as pre-cast window reveals carefully designed to control light levels within the laboratories, and the ‘Bubble Deck’ structural floors developed to reduce concrete weight and deliver economy and rapid erection. Solar shading is provided by a three storey woven stainless steel mesh, selected as a durable textile. The project was delivered in discrete phases to minimise disruption to the college and commercial facilities housed within the Institute.