EVA Architecten

De Boemerang’ Primary School

de Boemerang’ Primary School 

EVA Architecten

De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme

ARCHITECTS
EVA Architecten

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Jeroen Makkink, Jeroen Baars, Daniël Biesheuvel, Maarten Terberg

CONSTRACTOR
BM van Houwelingen

MANUFACTURERS
Aesy Liften, Centor Doors, Ecophon, Gyproc Rigitone, Velux flat roof

CONSTRUCTOR
Algerink van Schieveen

PHOTOGRAPHS
Sebastian van Damme

AREA
1400

YEAR
2023

LOCATION
Hungary

CATEGORY
Schools, Detail

De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme

De Boemerang primary school is located in Ondiep, Utrecht. Ondiep is a working-class neighborhood that is largely paved with little green. 

When integrating into the neighborhood, we, therefore, wanted to add greenery, retain the two monumental trees in the back square and make the otherwise fully paved square more liveable.

De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme
De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme

The district has an orthogonal allotment with mainly residential buildings. The location of the school is an ending of such a residential block and its front facade, therefore, intergrades in the orthogonal design language and brick architecture of the neighborhood.

By setting the building back from the sidewalk at the front, space is created for a green forecourt.

De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme
De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme

Large windows with deep recesses also create space on the facade for greenery, which you can look out on from the inside.

At the rear, away from the street, is the square. We wanted to keep the two big trees that provided scarce shade in the neighborhood and were the only green quality in the old situation, and the rear of the school has been designed around the trees: the building starts ondiep (Dutch word for shallow, pun not intended) where the trees stand and fans out wider.

De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme
De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme

For the facade, in contrast to the urban front, we opted for a soft design language with flowing shapes and a warm facade cladding in wood.

This creates a friendly square with a human scale where the meandering facade automatically creates different places for the lower and upper classes. The square itself has also been greened and designed by Buro Beuk.

The heart of the school is formed by the Boemerang café. This is the place where you enter, where general activities for the school and the neighborhood are organized, and where everyone meets.

The playroom is adjacent to the Boemerang café and by folding away a large glass wall, these spaces can be linked for larger activities.

De Boemerang’ Primary School
De Boemerang’ Primary School
© Sebastian van Damme

From the Boomerang café, you go to the groups. A large void makes it easy to orient yourself from all groups and you walk towards the light in every corridor that you enter into a group.

Widening the corridors creates concentration workplaces outside the classrooms. We have kept the interior modest with wood and a calm color palette.


De Boemerang’ Primary School
Floor Plan
De Boemerang’ Primary School
Floor Plan


De Boemerang’ Primary School
Model
De Boemerang’ Primary School
Model
De Boemerang’ Primary School
Model

EVA Architecten
T +31 30 740048
EVA Architecten
Wilhelminapark 26, 3581 NE Utrecht, Netherlands