Contractor Groep Van Roey has great experience in design-and-build school projects. However, with this Open Call project they wish to further optimize the design in order to really achieve a prototype of the Circular School of the Future.

VUB Architectural Engineering acts as a research consultant in this Open Call project supported by Circular Flanders. Check all Open Call projects on our news feed, or leave us a note and join us.

Many cities have a circular ambition today. Kindergartens and primary schools in the city have been confronted with capacity problems for years, which means they have to expand rapidly. But what should happen to these buildings after the growth period? Do all those school buildings allow a contraction or changes in function again? Will the capacity problem not relocate to schools for secondary education? What will happen to all schools that will eventually become vacant? Specifically, we expect answers to the research questions asked:

• Which design and construction strategy (s) is preferred for the design of a circular school building?
• Which concrete change-oriented building solutions can be applied to support the reuse of building components and adaptability and multiple use of buildings?
• Which initial and life cycle environmental impact and life cycle cost characterize some practical change-oriented applications?
• Which implementation strategy for BIM (Building Information Management) should be used, so that the value of the components and the building is preserved over time.

Don’t hesitate to send us your questions at consultancy.arch@vub.be.