Craftsmanship on display at the Wilhelmina Canal

At the edge of Oosterhout, a thriving timber industry emerged in the early 20th century along the newly constructed Wilhelmina Canal. A century later, this industry has made way for the expansion of the city, and the former maker’s buildings have been replaced by housing. On an open plot directly on the canal, Vereniging Ons Middelbaar Onderwijs is now developing a new building for practical and technical education: the Hanze College. The craftsmanship and pride of the former manufacturing industry form the inspiration for the design: robust, industrial, and connected to its surroundings.

Hanze College offers vocational education at three secondary levels (MAVO, Kader and Basis) across five different profiles, where taking pride in what you do and make is an integral part of learning. The practical classrooms of the various profiles are located in the transparent plinth of the compact, three-storey building. The elongated volume, positioned parallel to the canal, is divided into three legible building parts with distinct roof forms that reference the industrial history of the site.

The central volume is cut through by an atrium that stretches across all three floors and creates a visual connection between the canal and the surrounding woodland. Through the central entrance, pupils and teachers step into the building and fan out from the lively heart towards the school hall, the various practical learning plazas on the ground floor, or the tech lab and theory classrooms on the upper levels. Large interior windows offer views into the students’ work and foster connection and inspiration, while transparent openings in the façade also make the practical learning environments visible to the surroundings.

The school building has two stability cores and is organised according to a clear modular grid with an open structural shell, allowing the floor plans to be freely arranged and easily reconfigured in the future.

The preliminary design phase has been completed; the design team is currently working with Hanze College on the development of the final design.