EVA Architecten

Primary School Lux

Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme

Primary School Lux

EVA architecten

ARCHITECTS
EVA architecten

LEAD ARCHITECT
Jeroen Baars, Sharona Sinke

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Buro Beuk

GENERAL CONTRACTORS
Burgland Bouw, Bouwstructuur

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Maar! bouwmanagement

ELECTRICAL CONSULTANTS
Vintis

MECHANICAL CONSULTANTS
Peutz Consult GmbH

INTERIOR DESIGNER
Roosje van Donselaar

MANUFACTURERS
Feldhaus Klinker, CFS, Forbo, Schüco, Stotherm, Van Zetten Daktuinen, ZND Nedicom

PHOTOGRAPHS
Sebastian van Damme

AREA
2100 m²

YEAR
2025

LOCATION
Utrecht, The Netherlands

CATEGORY
Elementary & Middle School

English description provided by the architects.

Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme

The school building of SO Lux on the Stauntonstraat in the Utrecht district of Zuilen was realized in 1973 and no longer meets the current wishes for special education in terms of spatial and functional aspects.

In addition, the building is very outdated. It has been decided to renovate the building. The current school is characterized as a single-storey building that extends over the entire location in two wings.

Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme

Due to these low buildings, the function of the building is difficult to read, and there is no clear recognition of an entrance.

In the school, the group rooms are adjacent to long corridors without a 'heart' or meeting space. The design was developed from the existing cross-section.

Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme

The corridor zones on Stauntonstraat are lower than the adjacent group rooms. By organizing all the new installations here, we can reach both the corridor zones and the group rooms and the insulated shielding of these creates a new façade that we use for the architecture.

The façade is pulled around the building like elastic bands and, in addition to being eaves, also functions as a canopy or connecting element.

Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme

Where on Stauntonstraat the extensions dominated the façade, attention now goes to the in-between spaces, the patios, which form a beautiful transition between corridor and public space.

Where the two building wings meet, we open up the space again for a beautiful meeting space that connects the two outdoor spaces.

Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme

At this location, the canopy literally connects both wings into one school and forms a covered outdoor space for dry play and as an extension of the meeting space.

Where the canopy is pulled up in a flowing line, we hide the installations on the roof and mark the new main entrance. Prominent, visible and proud on the Stauntonstraat.

Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme

The main load-bearing structure of the school consists of masonry columns with a load-bearing wall every three grids. In the design, the group rooms are reduced to two grids for the small groups in which lessons are taught.

The third grid forms the link with the adjacent group room and includes a side room and a toilet room that is directly adjacent to the group room. This way, the teacher maintains an overview of the group.

Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme

Around the main entrance are the offices where we have housed the more specialist care, such as speech therapy and play supervision, in the existing extensions. The team room is somewhat sheltered, adjacent to the new heart.

An air heat pump is used to heat the school. The group rooms are heated by underfloor heating with additional preheated air from a central air treatment.

For the gymnasium, a Frenger ceiling provides heating/cooling with a separate air treatment for ventilation. Together with the optimisation of the thermal shell, the school meets the ENG criteria in accordance with the current Building Decree 2012 (new construction).


Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme
Primary School Lux
© Sebastian van Damme


Primary School Lux
Canopy, Trees and Green Roof Diagram
Primary School Lux
Existing and New Volume Diagram
Primary School Lux
Existing Floor Plan
Primary School Lux
New Floor Plan

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