After-school child care facilities at Gistel

architects: BURO II & Archi + I

location: Gistel, Belgium

year: 2013

Photos: Klaas Verdru

project description: 

 Flexibility was a key design consideration because of the interaction between an after-school care centre and the playground organisation. The zoning is clearly functional with a personnel zone, a circulation/foyer zone and a play zone. The floor-heated foyer interconnects the different functions. The play zone has three large play areas individually accessible from the foyer. The middle play area can be added to either of the other two communal groups. Each large play area looks out on to the large, south-facing playground that thanks to its design forms an extension to the communal areas.

The compactness of the building reflects the client’s wish to opt for a sustainable project with an E-level of 60. The building’s natural integration in its surroundings is enhanced still further by the greenery of the outdoor area and the natural look of the materials used: concrete for surfacing, wood (with an FSC label) for facades and light fibre cement sheeting for the roof.