The building was the first school in the Netherlands to be built using a modular wooden system. CircleWood, designed jointly by Studio A Kwadraat and OMA architects David Giannotten and Michael den Otter.
Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
This system is based on standardized wooden columns, cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors, steel connections and adaptive partitions.
All elements are manufactured in a factory with digital quality control, which ensures quick assembly and dismantling on the construction site. The structural modules are 3,6 m wide and 7,2 m long and can form the frame of buildings up to three floors high.
Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
At the same time, the internal partitions are not load-bearing, which makes it easy to change the layout and create spaces for various purposes - from classrooms and offices to assembly halls, gyms or open courtyards.
The system also allows for the expansion or transformation of buildings throughout their life cycle. After the end of their operation, all components can be completely dismantled and reused to create other objects, such as offices or residential buildings.
Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
Architecture and spatial organization
The compact school building is organized around a central auditorium, the main public space for gatherings and events. Around it are learning clusters, divided into two zones: for toddlers and for older students. Each zone has a separate entrance and its own playground.
Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
Classrooms have mostly transparent facades and interior walls, providing visual connections between spaces. Corridors over three meters wide are filled with natural light and used as additional learning and work areas.
Modular partitions allow you to change the configuration of classrooms and corridors according to the needs of students and teachers, stimulating creativity and collaboration.
Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
A space that evolves with the school
The project envisages further development of the building. If necessary, additional classrooms can be built on the north side by dismantling the existing facade and expanding the modular frame.
The wooden structure allows for the use of various finishing materials and colors. Large windows and French doors provide direct access from the classrooms to the courtyard.
Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
Inside, the bio-based partitions serve different functions: some serve as cabinets with lockers and storage spaces, others as exhibition walls for showcasing students' work.
Educational space and ecological mission
The CircleWood concept sees schools not only as buildings for learning, but also as educational tools that help students become aware of human impact on the environment. Information screens in the buildings display carbon footprint and resource use figures.
Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
Prefabricated construction reduces nitrogen emissions during construction by approximately 80% compared to standard construction methods. Bio-based partitions are made from carbon-absorbing materials and require less energy to transport.
According to OMA Managing Partner David Giannotten, the experience of implementing the Wisperweide School will become the basis for further improving the modular wooden system and developing Amsterdam's educational infrastructure.
Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode
Earlier we wrote that A hospital with a roof garden and an urban forest will be built near Paris.
See also:
The first 3D-printed school in Ukraine officially opened in Lviv
"A place you remember for a lifetime": why Dutch architects are giving new life to old schools