Location: Amsterdam, NL
Year: 2008 - 2012
Program: Public, Education, Sport,
Commercial, Parking
Client: ROC van Amsterdam &
MJ De Nijs Projectontwikkeling BV
Associates: Oever Zaaijer Architecture,
Urbanism and Design Research

The "community college" concept used for this school building is based on designing a sustainable and multifunctional program where the school building is transformed into a new urban destination. The location is complex and demanding, situated next to an elevated station of the North-South metro in Amsterdam North. This new vision of education calls for more and more frequent movements within and outside the building. Unique to MBO College North is the combination of two schools in one building, the Bredero College (HAVO) and the ROCvA (MBO) for the purposes of career-based learning from high school to vocational school levels.

The architectural concept for two schools in one was developed in a circulation model were both schools are both united and separated by through a double helix stair concept. This achieves the educational vision where the students see each other but cannot touch each other.

Like three-dimensional architectural concept feels like an Escher painting reaches the design two goals: each master has an address on the street and at the same time can make use of the inner world in this three-dimensional passage with shared facilities such as a canteen, library and support functions.