Plans for De Markiezaten, a new housing estate in Bergen op Zoom, includes a proposal for combining different forms of education within one building. This is an excellent opportunity to create a social ‘heart’ for the community, where various user-groups, students and residents could meet.

Built on a sand ridge, four metres above the surrounding countryside, the estate has two primary schools, a childcare-centre and after-school care provision, as well as a daycare centre and residential facilities. In a playful landscape, the height difference runs through the school, forming a central meeting place.