Overloon, Netherlands

Maasberg Juvenile detention living

UArchitects

TIME – OUT

Unit 5 of “JJI De Hunnerberg, De Maasberg” in Overloon is converted from a prison for adults into an autonomously functioning juvenile detention institution. This is the first juvenile detention in the Netherlands where youngsters are treated in small groups of ten instead of twelve. So each youngster gets more treatment and coaching.

The old school is mainly demolished and partly renovated with the sports accommodation and a new building for the living area have been realised. This new building for living is the main part of the masterplan.

Concept

The resoluteness of the world which aims at the interior is partly removed. A new and more intensive interaction with the surrounding nature is aimed at for the youngsters. The open structure stimulates the daily shifts between living, learning and recreation.

Site and organisation

The new building for living is situated parallel to the regional public road and contains 4 sectors with 10 youngsters each. In the longitudinal direction the building is organised linearly with bedrooms on the street side with an open view. The team rooms have been placed in the centre.

The façade towards the street is more abstract, with two different patterns of vertical window frames. Two enormous (maximum glass dimensions) glass opening are contrasting with this mainly closed façade and reveal the communal living rooms. The vertical openings for the windows have different diagonal sides, which create different sightlines form the interior towards the surrounding wood land scenery.

The building opens up to the other side with the enclosed outdoor spaces. Wooden facades and concrete planes reveal the atmosphere of the interior.

The circular element on the south works on the urban scale as a turning point and it shows the entrance.

Materialization

The facade is mainly constructed with big dark-grey bricks with dimensions of 290×195 x 90 mm. The texture of the brick is a little bit shining and has small vertical cuts which are inspired by the texture of the surrounding trees.

Relation youngster – environment

The building does not assume a relation of vandalism and destruction between youngsters and environment. It assumes a relation of respect by its warm interior and materialization.

The measurement of the bricks is balancing with the subtle way how the spatial context and landscape is expressed in the building. Maybe the youngsters can find a new structure, which they need to proceed their way.

Europaconcorsi Beta

Maasberg Juvenile detention living