Office building becomes cool and sustainable school

DP6 has renovated a building for the mbo Helicon school organization on Spoorlaan 21 in Tilburg. This former government building was built to house a post office and sorting centre beside the railway tracks. The project involved the renovation of the first floor of the former post office, a quarter of the total building. The former railway precinct is undergoing a metamorphosis not only to facilitate encounters but also attract new and innovative entrepreneurs, both of which are interesting for Helicon. “An ideal learning environment for the pupils in the City and People department,” as Helicon calls the Spoorzone location. “Pupils learn to draw energy from the city, to bring inhabitants together, to develop a healthy lifestyle, and to deploy nature in order to make the city a pleasant place."

The column structure and the generous ceiling height of almost 5 metres made it possible to play with the space and to insert a mezzanine level in a number of places. Situated between the group spaces are open meeting areas, study spaces and work areas, each with an atmosphere all of its own. In terms of materials, the basis is light, and blocks with OSB panelling lend the space a warm atmosphere. The teachers’ balcony with the reception, the stairs that doubles as a bank of seats and the new block containing the toilets read as clear volumes in the space and break up the length of the building. The materials reflect the character of the institution: not only industrial and tough but also sustainable, green and inviting.