Playing, learning and developing together in an oasis of tranquility

Homely, cozy, convenient and inviting to learn. That, in a nutshell, is the new building at De Dromedaris child center in Beuningen. Good design and the use of the right materials from Knauf Insulation ensure a calm and above all stimulating learning environment here.

Playing, learning and developing together, that is the slogan of De Dromedaris child centre. But how do you facilitate this in a building where more than 300 children gather daily? That was the big challenge in the realization of the new child center that opened its doors in October 2023. SORS Architecten provided a design divided into four clusters of three or four classrooms each and an attached playground. Buss Ontwerp & Inrichting took care of the look and feel in the building and Knauf Insulation provided the matching acoustic materials. Good cooperation with Dromedaris directors Annemiek Breimer and Monica Lumkes did the rest. The school's vision was leading throughout the process.

The result is a school where pupils and teachers feel at home from day one. Or, as Annemiek puts it, "A school that feels cozy. Not a learning factory for 300 children." This, she says, does demand something of the building, its layout and teaching. "The importance of quiet and good acoustics cannot be underestimated here. We kept a keen eye on that during the process."

We can print or mill any image on the acoustic panels"

Danny Wilting, Knauf Insulation

FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

The first step was taken with the design. An elongated building with almost all classrooms on the north side. "Good acoustics starts with a good functional design," says architect Niels Peters of SORS Architecten. "With that, you already have 80% of the acoustics in order. The other 20% is in the interior design, the additions and the use of the right acoustic materials." Organic, panels made of wood-wool cement, provide the perfect acoustics in De Dromedaris, which is perceived as pleasant by pupils and teachers. "With the Organic brand, we focus mainly on applications where design requirements are higher.

Think interior applications," clarifies Danny Wilting of Knauf Insulation. "But the material is enjoying a revival. More and more schools and other parties are rediscovering the benefits of these acoustic panels."

ACTIVE LEARNING

Besides their good acoustic properties, the panels in the new primary school in Beuningen have other properties that add significant value to education. They are printed with learning materials and thus form part of the teaching material. Monica: "We think active learning is very important and moving learning is part of that. We have shaped this by displaying a centenary field on the panels, for example. Children can practice tables during a ball game. In this way, we combine good acoustics with education. How nice is that." Those visuals on the panels were well thought out. Annemiek: "A lot of time went into that to get it just right. With the results, we are very satisfied." Knauf Insulation printed the visuals on the panels. Danny: "We supply on demand and can print or mill any image on the panels."

"We combine good acoustics with education. How nice is that"

Monica Lumkes, directeur OBS De Dromedaris

STANDING TABLES

Veerle Diemer of Buss Ontwerp & Design also had an important role in creating the ideal learning environment for De Dromedaris. "We translated active and moving learning into the interior. This manifests itself not only in the panels, materials and colours, but also in the furniture. For instance, we added standing tables and tables at height. Furthermore, we contributed ideas on the routing in the building and how to make learning attractive for the children."

"The combination of design, furnishing, colours and materials has had exactly the effect in our school building that we had imagined," Annemiek states. "We have over 300 children in the house every day and yet we all experience a nice calmness in the building. The good cooperation between SORS Architecten, Buss Ontwerp & Design and Knauf Insulation contributed to this. That collaboration has resulted in a building that is right. A cozy school for the children and the teachers."

CHILD CENTRAL

Danny: "The basis is, as always, a good educational vision in which the child is central. That child must be able to develop well in the school building. All parties involved in De Dromedaris have contributed ideas on how to give this shape. Niels from his vision as an architect, Veerle from her expertise as an interior designer and we from Knauf Insulation with our knowledge of acoustic materials. So together we created a building in which the pupils can perform optimally." Monica: "We are incredibly proud of our new building. It really is a breath of fresh air compared to the temporary accommodation we were in for a long time. Moreover, we are now all in one location. As a result, we can work together much better and learn from each other as a team. This perfectly matches our slogan: 'playing, learning and developing together'. Our new building facilitates us fantastically in this."