bureau SLA designs the nature and environment learning center in amsterdam

bureau SLA designs the nature and environment learning center in amsterdam
(above) this new building replaces two temporary structures which housed the program for the previous five years
all images courtesy of bureau SLA

in amsterdam, every primary school student is provided with his or her own 6-square meter garden to care for. these students are also enrolled in classes where they learn about nature and the environment, held in one of the buildings dedicated to this purpose throughout the city. as of this year, amsterdam noord becomes host to the ‘nature & environment learning centre’ designed by bureau SLA specifically for this purpose. this new building replaces two temporary structures which housed the program for the previous five years. in addition to being the first purpose-designed and built centre in the program, it’s also unique in that it works both as a classroom and as an educational tool itself: the building’s sustainability can be seen and felt by all who come in contact with it.

as of this year, amsterdam noord becomes host to the ‘nature & environment learning centre’

the ‘nature center’ is located on a rectangular plot in the middle of the school gardens of amsterdam noord. the location was just right: near the entrance of the site and optimally oriented to the gardens. by positioning the ridge of the roof exactly east-west the roof plane faced south and provided the building with its distinctive shape. another advantage is that the roof almost touches the ground so that even smaller children can easily see the solar panels. the entrance to the nature center is in the middle of the long south-east façade. the layout of the plan is almost symmetrical: on the left and right are classrooms, on the first floor two identical rooms that serve as offices, and a canteen. in the middle there’s nothing: through the glass entrance doors, one can look straight at the school gardens on the other side of the building.

through the glass entrance doors, one can look straight at the school gardens

the roof and end walls are clad with wooden slats. the covering does not function as waterproof but is intended to extract the bitumen roofing from the view. also, the solar panels can be included in the roof, instead of placing them on top of it. in most buildings with wood cladding, even if it is not the waterproofing, the pattern runs either horizontally or vertically. because the wood is a purely decorative element many more possibilities are imaginable. wood flooring, for example, exists in a rich variety of laying patterns, with equally exotic names: herringbone or block pattern, hungarian point of versailles. in the ‘nature and environment learning centre’ the wood cladding consists of a block pattern of three boards, whose dimensions are matched to the solar panels. 

in amsterdam, every primary school student is provided with his or her own 6-square meter garden to care for

the ‘nature center’ is located on a rectangular plot in the middle of the school gardens of amsterdam noord

the interiors combine different natural materials like wood and cork

the solar panels are included in the roof, instead of placing them on top of it

the diagram shows some of the technology used 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom