Vision integral schools

BLOC helps the Municipality of Almere to make social impact by linking the renewal of schools in Molenbuurt to the development of additional neighbourhood functions. Molenbuurt is located in the middle of the Almere Buiten district. It has many qualities such as its own centre with plenty of shops and greenery, but it is also vulnerable. The schools, for instance, are in need of renovation and sustainability. This offers a great opportunity to immediately add specific functions that can help vulnerable neighbourhood residents in particular. But how to do this effectively, with few resources and with the support of the stakeholders involved? BLOC is working in close cooperation with school administrators, civil society organisations and various municipal departments to come up with a feasible plan for function blending in the Molenbuurt. 

A challenging but indispensable opportunity to make an impact with education housing innovation

Like many municipalities in the Netherlands, Almere faces the important and complex task of renovating and making its schools more sustainable. For this young municipality, this is also a fairly new task as its first-built schools are at the end of their technical lifespan. It also has to deal with several social issues that it wants to address immediately by identifying linking opportunities. The same certainly applies to the Molenbuurt: a colourful neighbourhood in Almere Buiten. The three schools there will be tackled in a few years’ time. It would be nice to also serve the neighbourhood with new shared facilities – think sports, care and culture – and a pleasant, safe outdoor space for playing and exercising. But resources and manpower are limited: so what do you bet on?

By engaging with all stakeholders in sessions and using our earlier research for Almere, we were able to quickly arrive at concrete solutions. We do this by crossing social tasks – e.g. health – with spatial opportunities – e.g. outdoor space. This produces interventions: proposals to carry out an already existing trajectory slightly differently so as to create more social added value. Linked to a strategy based on funding opportunities, relevant partners and phasing. Where possible, we also make them spatially transparent.

We then weigh and enrich these interventions with those directly involved: the school headmasters themselves, but also the civil society organisations and municipal departments that need to make the facilities feasible. Finally, we engage with residents, schoolchildren and parents on the considerations to fill in the plans. We summarise the outcomes in the PvE’s of the schools themselves and the outdoor spaces.