Location: The Hague, Netherlands.

Architect: Ibelings van Tilburg architecten.

The ROC Mondriaan, a regional education centre, boasts a transparent design that connects the interior to the building’s surroundings. The atrium, which takes a wedge-shaped bite out of the building, allows daylight to enter deep into the building and creates clear views to the nearby train station and adjacent main road. The transparency not only creates a pleasant and accessible study environment but also contributes to the social security in the immediate vicinity of the school. The building has a clear access and practice areas facing the atrium, a restaurant, various open learning centres, simulation rooms, skills rooms, and a musical-creative centre. The sustainable design choices, such as using load-bearing facades in combination with bricks and aluminium window frames, north facing large glass surfaces, flexible floor layout, and the application of various energy-saving measures, have resulted in an average GPR value of 7.8, proof of the high quality and future value of the building. The building’s energy consumption has been reduced as far as possible by taking measures such as higher insulation values for facade and roof than required by the Dutch building code, HR++ glass, daylight-sensitive lighting, presence detection, an installed lighting capacity of less than 10 W/m2, high-frequent TL5 lighting, individual control of indoor climate, variable-speed pumps, energy efficient elevators, balanced ventilation with heat recovery, and night ventilation. The building’s EPC is 1,0. The use of natural and low-maintenance materials, especially bamboo, has also been given careful consideration. Walls, frames, windows, and doors in the atrium are made of pressed bamboo, which is an ecologically sound substitute for hardwood, and its hard and smooth surface makes it very robust and durable.