Adaptable spaces created for pupils across the Netherlands

Tenderstream member cepezed has been leading the way in showing how innovative sustainable design can help school authorities meet the challenges to maintain their facilities and adapt them to future learning forms, as well as fulfilling the requirements for extra space and ventilation following the coronvirus crisis. Tenderstream researchers have noticed an increasing amount of tenders appearing for educational facility upgrades and expansions along these lines. In the manifesto ‘Cabinet: invest in education housing!’ a collective of sector organisations and municipalities across the Netherlands advocates investing at least 730m EUR for renovating school buildings, sooner rather than later. 

One example is the Cambreur College in Dongen, where the existing school building was outdated to such an extent that a new structure was required to take its place. The ambitions for the new building were high: to meet the requirements for a healthy 'Fresh School' and a nearly energy-neutral building (BENG), while accommodating both the traditional and new learning methods. cepezed created a flexible layout for the new school that can easily be adjusted to respond to variable student numbers. The light and spacious rooms still retain the small-scale character of the previous building, with the reuse of previous components ranging from the incorporation of two large gymnasiums, to the paving stones of the former schoolyard. 

Other examples include the International School Almere, set to be completed in early 2023. In Ede, cepezed designed the transformation of the Dulon College, where existing and new build come together. Over in Waddinxveen, the Coenecoop College is under construction, which, like Cambreur College, scores highly on 'Fresh School' and 'BENG' criteria. Tenderstream is sure that the demand for architects to design such projects will continue, as schools seek to adapt to changing requirements.

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

Follow the links to view the tenders as first published on Tenderstream: Cambreur College, School Almere, Dulon College and Coencoop College. 

Start your free trial here or email our team directly at customerservices@tenderstream.com