Community school Het DOK | Paul de Ruiter Architects

Community school Het DOK is located in Nieuw Rhijngeest, a large extension of Oegstgeest in The Netherlands. The building includes a primary school, a day care, after school childcare, a music school, a gym, an exhibition area and a multifunctional space. In addition to the function of education building, Het DOK also functions as a meeting place for the neighbourhood.

Fresh air, daylight and organic materials
Health and sustainability are the primary pillars for the design of the community school. We translated these pillars into three themes: fresh air, daylight and organic materials. The location, in the middle of a newly planted forest, contributes to the expression of these themes. This quality is used as much as possible in the design to ensure that the proximity of the forest is tangible throughout the building. To achieve this as many programme functions are located on the first floor, while the more closed functions, such as the gym, are located on the second floor. An enclosed part of the forest forms the heart of the building, an outside area which can be used as a playground but also for special events.

Innovative climate concept
Unique about the design is the innovative climate concept, which we developed in collaboration with ARUP. This concept provides fresh air throughout the building in an energy-efficient manner. Through acoustic vents, hidden behind the glass façade, fresh air flows into the building. Just behind the grate, there is a cooling / heating element which is connected to the soil storage. Subsequently, the air flows into the building through the beams of the wooden construction. As a result of the clever integration of construction and installations, a clear height is won.