Ter Sterre Moorslede

Located in rural Moorslede, the school offers classical secondary education to students with autism. Therefore, the project is characterized by a low-incentive nature.

The unit consists of two connected and de-duplicated wings. The indoor main entrance is emphasized volumetrically by an incision in the volume.

The uniqueness of the imposed program gave the opportunity to realize a building bottom-up from the most crucial space of a school building, namely the classroom.

The net class size is translated into a flexible and functional structure. The size of the class is the size of the structure. Each classroom has a uniformity with a materiality that continues throughout the interior. The intended result is a fresh uniform atmosphere that induces calmness and concentration.

A chippered parament façade with concrete plinth and repeated windows in dark green joinery with concrete window frames provide a tactile yet educational character. A warm rational architecture arises which contributes to a readable whole as a direct response to the school and its irritability-sensitive students.

Circulation in the building was approached as a generous interior street. A main museum-like staircase in the heart of the building festively connects the different floors. On the ground floor, the corridor fans out into the multipurpose refectory, creating a free space. Following this is the canopy that connects to the open playground and is an integral part of the architecture.

The large windows frame the surroundings like a series of landscape paintings. The elevation of the site was used to plant the parking out of sight into the site, edged by greenery. A thorough green concept including a flower meadow and butterfly borders complete the whole.