Wooden staircase as eye-catcher
The six floors of building D are connected by a huge wooden staircase that is a defining feature of the atrium. Spread across the different floors, there are ten study plazas, where students can study, discuss, hang out together or eat their sandwiches.

100 education areas
The new building can house 11,000 students and 850 employees. It has 100 education areas, varying from small rooms and regular classrooms to study halls that can hold up to 93 people. According to the building’s architect, Paul de Ruiter, students could be grouped around the electrical sockets. ‘They will sit wherever they can plug in their devices.’ Therefore, building D has no less than 2,500 wall sockets.

Sustainable
The new building was given the International BREEAM Certificate for Sustainability with a rating of ‘excellent’. Architect De Ruiter believes that sustainability is not only defined by the materials used or the number of solar panels that have been installed (30), but by human measures as well. ‘To be able to study well, the climate inside the school is very important. That’s why we have paid a lot of attention to climate systems and have come up with smart solutions for fresh air, ventilation and cooling. The stairs in the heart of the atrium also encourage healthy behaviour. People now take the stairs more often than they would have before.