Dordrecht, Netherlands

Da Vinci College

Programme: Regional Educational Centre (ROC) with classrooms for theoretical education, training rooms, training companies, conference centre, restaurant, Student service centre and interior design of 22,500 m2, 1st prize competition

Frontrunner in educational renewal

The Da Vinci College is a part of the Learning Park Dordrecht, the frontrunner in educational renewal in the Netherlands. Learning, living and enterprising are brought together in one neighbourhood. Education and commerce work together intensely just like in former the days of the vocational schools. At the Da Vinci College, this is happening by means of more than 20 training companies where students work as a part of their education. To realize this new multidisciplinary educational philosophy, Mecanoo designed the Da Vinci College as a city within a city: nine training houses connected by alleys, squares and courtyards. A remarkable eye-catcher, the icon building forms the gateway to this city.

Crafts

The school was designed to a human-scale, thus avoiding the impression of massiveness, though it houses more than 5000 students. Variation in material usage Cortèn steel, brickwork, stucco, zinc, aluminium and glass give the training houses their own identity and emanate the pride of craftsmanship. A lively coloured skin of glass panels drapes around three vertical cones containing meeting rooms and a conference centre. The transparent facades on ground level offer a view of the student service centre, the practice rooms and the training companies, such as a hair salon on the central square. In this way, students and visitors can see what the different vocations have to offer. The theory classes take place on the upper floors.

Own house

In the interiors design, Mecanoo emphasized the different characteristics of the training houses. Each training house is unique, has its own entrance, its own quality of space and materials, creating a sense of home. The Ocra building, for instance is clad with zinc. A huge atrium is created by connecting the stairwells. The broad stairs serve as casual hang-outs and lounging areas, but can also serve as seating for performances and events. Already during the construction phase, the educational philosophy of the school was put into practice. Students participated in making furniture and in building security. The architectural concept of Mecanoo reflects the educational renewal that was envisioned by the school and the municipality of Dordrecht.

Europaconcorsi Beta

Da Vinci College