De Gulleboom Primary School

Our proposal creates a school campus that supports the Gulleboom school’s focus on growth and generosity, using a rich, nurturing language of timber structures to create clarity, generosity, and publicness across the campus, whilst celebrating and enhancing the school’s connection with nature.

Our project starts by valuing what is already there, particularly the school’s strong learning culture, its role in the town and its relationship to nature. De Gulleboom’s Poststraat campus is already a fantastic place to learn and grow; our proposal celebrates existing qualities whilst improving and expanding buildings, and creating a series of open natural and built play areas that will foster children’s wellbeing and learning.

Research shows that improving children’s connections with nature improves their concentration, reduces stress and boosts creativity for both pupils and staff. This is already a strength of De Gulleboom but we would like to help the school community take it to the next level. Outdoor learning, both formally and through play, has a central role in our scheme, and our proposals for the new buildings are within the school’s current hard- landscaped playspaces. The existing outdoor green areas where children learn and play are fully preserved and enriched, and the green triangle to the north of the campus is better- integrated with the school to create a space for ‘forest school’ activities. Clarity and access to all buildings are improved through the introduction of new semi-internal circulation spaces that create a better connection to nature and the outside.