Ghent, Belgium

Designed by Bart Verstappen and Luc Reuse at evr-Architecten, the new De Zonnepoort school for Stad Gent – Dienst Bouwprojecten reorganizes and retrofits an existing building originally made up of a mashup between rather invisible outbuildings and supplementary wings resulting in a labyrinth of rooms, some even without daylight. 

The architects’ new design on-site keeps the main building central on the plot, creating an open and communicative unity connecting both the site itself as well as the direct urban surroundings.

The new building compliments and even enhances the relationship with neighboring buildings in both color and height. 

The balance is restored by keeping a distance from the original building and changing its form. 

Thanks to a meticulous composition, the neighboring villa at the right will keep its sunny character. 

The school itself has a special program, directed in the function of the children, who come from far outside the city to receive specific education based on their needs. 

For the children, urban stimuli are kept to a minimum and they have their own playground in be-tween buildings.

The new building is folded around the school like a protective wall.

The façade is in dialogue with the “white façades” across the street in nuanced masonry detailing. 

At street level, the architects open the doors of the school to the neighborhood, a bench is integrated into the entrance ramp, and a wood-clad cut-out acts as a welcome gesture. 

It is here that the school literally opens up to the neighborhood after school hours.

Within the limited space on the site, the architects gave the new building the smallest possible footprint to maximize outdoor space. 

The roof has been made accessible and serves as an outdoor classroom, with greenhouse and vegetable garden boxes. 

The cafeteria, the multifunctional room, the entrance, and the front desk are adjacent to the street and can be easily accessed and used by neighboring clubs for extracurricular activities.

The big windows work both ways: they give a view into the school while also giving a view to the outside for the students. 

The ground floor also includes a school kitchen, restrooms, and meeting facilities.

The corridors on the first and second floors overlooking the street will be set up as supporting spaces for health care, and mental and speech therapy. 

The corridors overlooking the playground, far away from the street noise, will be equipped with classrooms. 

The old utility lines have, therefore, been fixed and relocated to the new block.

Regarding material choices, the architects opted for a high utility value while keeping the ecological footprint and tax low. 

The city of Ghent made it one of its focal points to make all city schools certified passive schools and this is one of them. 

Insulated according to passive-house standards, this building only needs a small gas heating unit for heating requirements when it’s too cold to depend on solar heat gains.

In summer, early fall, and late spring passive solar shading prevents overheating.

The architects chose brick as the most visible façade material, wrapped around a concrete skeleton.

Where possible and where the façade comes in contact with the people using it, wood was used as a softer tactile experience, such as around entrances and for windows and doors inside and out.

All wood used is FSC- or PEFC-certified. 

The structure between the old and new building is a wooden structure of columns and beams.

The LVL beams extend outwards carrying a metal sheet providing a covered pathway connecting old and new.

Project: Basisschool De Zonnepoort 
Architects: evr-Architecten bvba
Lead Architects: Bart Verstappen and Luc Reuse
Design Team: Thijs Urban and Dennis Schouwers
General Contractor: THV Artes Depret NV / Roegiers NV 
Client: Stad Gent – Dienst Bouwprojecten
Photographers: Stijn Bollaert