Vrije basisschool Sint-Paulus

The new building for the Sint-Paulus primary school was part of the Scholen van Morgen (Schools of Tomorrow) project. Stramien designed this light and airy school building with space to accommodate meetings and extracurricular activities.

The double-height circulation space at the heart of the school immediately sets the tone. The large glass sections link the interior to the playground. The classrooms, secretary's and head's offices open onto a communal area. The fact that so many functions come together here invites people to meet up. The playground between the primary and secondary schools also needed some form of connection and the dilapidated chapel turned out to be ideal for this purpose. Having consulted the Heritage Conservation and Architecture Department, the architects decided to preserve the building. The 19th-century chapel, a remnant of the former monastery and old people's home that were on this site, was transformed into a covered outdoor space. The architects opted for a brick wall with a natural stone plinth to ensure that the school building blends in with the protected villagescape of Sint-Denijs-Westrem.

This project was opened on the occasion of the 2017 Day of Architecture.