Pre-reading Discussion. 1. What are the main aspects to pay attention to while designing a school?

1. What are the main aspects to pay attention to while designing a school?

2. What do you think about the advantages and disadvantages of a large school?

3. Is it necessary to involve teachers and pupils in the design process?

4. Should architects pay attention to the pupils’ age while designing the classrooms for young children and

teenagers?

5. Do you think your school was a perfect type of school architecture?

– You have been building schools since the 1960s. What educational developments have

you seen in that time?

– In the field of education, one of the main political goals in our country today is to bring the various

private and state schools in line with each other, to unify the complex educational system and reduce the large

number of schools. It is not a bad idea, but it does not always make sense. Small schools are more comprehensible,

for example, while larger schools can offer more facilities, such as media libraries.

– How do you assess the conditions for school building?

– We have witnessed a change since the 1990s. In the past, the Ministry of Education was the central authority

responsible for schools and teaching. Seven or eight years ago, this responsibility was transferred to local

authorities. The state now grants only basic funding. The rest has to be provided by the municipalities. Unfortunately,

very few of them are interested in qualitative school building. Politically, the situation is problematic,

but schools are a hobbyhorse of mine.

– Is the lack of interest in building high-quality schools a socio-political problem?

– Yes. We have to invest much more in education. We have to specialise and export

knowledge. Schools should not be just a series of classrooms and corridors; they should provide a kind of

"home base". It is not enough just to learn mathematics and languages. In a multicultural society, it is important

for children to learn to live together rather than attacking each other.

– How do you implement your school concepts architecturally?

– I believe a school should be a kind of polls, a microcosm. In my spatial concepts, therefore, I am particularly

concerned with the zones outside the classrooms. Through greater openness spatially, I ensure that corridors

are not just circulation routes. Is your architectural approach

related to this in any way?

– No, not really. But I'm convinced that liberty can exist only within a certain framework. Pupils should be allowed as much latitude as possible within certain limits. I see my school architecture

in that light: I provide the framework within which the pupils can develop freely.

– To what extent does the age of the children affect the architecture?

– Too much emphasis is placed on that aspect sometimes. People speak of finding the right scale for children,

but they climb stairs just like adults. I am not aware that children need smaller steps. Of course, things

like tables and chairs will be lower for younger children, but other aspects like natural lighting, visual links and

spaces for withdrawal are more important. In traditional school types, there are usually long corridors that serve

solely as access routes. From the very outset, we wanted to develop a different type. There will be study areas outside the actual classrooms - divided off by folding doors. We used sliding doors for this purpose.

– Do you involve teachers and pupils in the design process?

– I always attempt to develop a school design in collaboration with the teachers and pupils. This helps to

achieve a stronger sense of identity with the school.

We sat down with 30 or 40 teachers every month. But that did not prove to be very productive. For the most

part, they fought for the interests of their own classes. They were concerned with having as many socket outlets

as possible, hot water, light and so on.

– Do the different nationalities of the pupils play a role in your design?

– No. I am interested in fundamental forms: that is what Structuralism means to me today. I attempt to develop

a common spatial programme for all pupils. There are two main aspects to this: enclosure or protection,

and openness. In many cultures, "space" implies something enclosed, but to us as a seafaring nation, it can also

mean something that extends over the horizon.

– Can one trace your personal architectural development in your buildings?

– As a rule, I design from the inside out. From the very beginning, I have provided a vertical link in all

buildings that are more than two storeys high. In the Ministry of Social Affairs, I realised

the concept of a large central hall, a space that links all parts of the building; but regrettably, I did not take

the idea to its logical conclusion. That building marks the end of a certain line in my design development. Since

then, there has been a bolder gesture and a larger urban-planning element in my architecture.

– Are there any differences between school buildings in Germany and the Netherlands?

– I have built schools only in the Netherlands, so I cannot make direct comparisons in that respect. German

schools, which I admire very much, usually draw on a much bigger budget. We are building a large project in

Germany. Maybe I should not say this, but I find the

Dutch are more pernickety and stingier. People are more open in Germany. On the other hand, we do not have

the notion that a building can bestow dignity and power.

– What is your favourite school project?

– The newest project I am working on always means most to me and that is the school in Germany. It was

a difficult project, because the dwellings above the school were not planned by us. Crazy conditions, but one

invests a great deal of time in difficult projects and is always delighted at unexpected successes. It is the same

as with one's children.