The newly completed Het Streek Lyceum in Ede, Netherlands, represents a groundbreaking approach to secondary school design that transforms the traditional educational facility into a vibrant community hub. Designed through a collaboration between Atelier van Berlo and Ector Hoogstad Architecten, this 5,000-square-meter building completed in 2025 redefines what a modern school can be by fostering encounters, vitality, and a profound sense of belonging within its innovative architectural framework.
Strategically positioned between a residential neighborhood and the Kenniscampus, the school serves as an architectural bridge connecting two distinctly different worlds. The building's thoughtful design features two- and four-story volumes that respond sensitively to the scale of their immediate surroundings. The exterior showcases a sophisticated combination of brick façades and recessed wooden panels, creating a layered relief and rhythmic expression that speaks to both contemporary design principles and traditional craftsmanship. The most striking feature is the Technasium, an expressive glass and aluminum volume that dramatically extends from the main structure and rests elegantly on one of the building's characteristic landscaped hills.
These gentle slopes serve as more than mere aesthetic elements – they reference the nearby Veluwe nature reserve, naturally anchoring the school within its environmental setting. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by the impressive Technasium overhang and a welcoming colonnade that together form a sheltered entrance to what the school proudly calls "the world of Het Streek." Inside, a distinctive round reception desk immediately welcomes visitors with direct views of the aula and a central staircase that connects all floors, making the architectural intention to "design encounters" tangible from the moment one enters the building.
The spacious, light-filled aula represents the beating heart of school life and exemplifies the building's community-focused design philosophy. This generous space features varying height differences, multiple seating areas, and carefully planned sightlines that offer a variety of intimate gathering places for students and visitors alike. The space's most eye-catching feature is a multifunctional wooden wall that opens up to accommodate various educational and community uses. The largest opening forms a stage that is deliberately kept at ground level, while a lowered seating area naturally creates a theater-like environment. A particularly charming detail is the walkway with a French balcony positioned at the back of the stage, specifically designed to invite students to perform classic scenes like Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" balcony scene.
Beyond school hours, the aula undergoes a remarkable transformation into a true community hub that serves the broader Ede population. Local residents regularly use this versatile space for church services, cultural performances, and sports events, demonstrating the building's commitment to community integration. The large glass façade creates transparency between the school's interior spaces and its surroundings, effectively turning the interior into a genuinely shared community space that belongs to everyone.
Sustainability was established as a fundamental guiding principle from the project's inception, influencing every aspect of the design and construction process. The building's compact massing, thoughtfully articulated façades, integrated solar panels, and gas-free installation systems combine to create an energy-efficient and healthy learning environment that meets the rigorous national 'Frisse School' standards. Most remarkably, Het Streek holds the distinction of being the first four-story building in the Netherlands constructed using the innovative Dry-stack system – a revolutionary mortar-free, circular brick construction method.
This groundbreaking construction technique involves literally screwing bricks into place while deliberately leaving the fixings visible, making future reuse both practically possible and architecturally tangible. Smart planning during the tender phase allowed the existing school to remain fully operational during the construction process, significantly reducing both costs and disruption to the educational community. In a commitment to circular economy principles, materials from the old building were thoughtfully reused in the new landscape design, including the creation of a large insect hotel that wraps around the site.
The project team included key contributors such as Roos van Roessel, Tiemen Anema, and Wiktoria Mrozek on the design team, with technical support from Varsham Boedhoe, Ridwan Tehupelasury, and Elisabeth Tukker. Copijn Landschapsarchitecten handled the landscape architecture, while Bouwbedrijf Kreeft served as the general contractor. Engineering and consulting services were provided by IMD Raadgevend Ingenieurs for structural work, WSI Techniek for mechanical systems, and Adviesbureau Sijperda Hardy for services consulting.
Through extensive collaboration with students, teachers, and neighboring community members throughout the design and construction process, Het Streek Lyceum has successfully evolved beyond the traditional concept of a school. It now stands as an open, sustainable learning environment that actively strengthens the social fabric of its community, setting a new standard for educational architecture that prioritizes both environmental responsibility and community integration. The project demonstrates how thoughtful architectural design can create spaces that serve multiple constituencies while maintaining the highest standards of educational functionality and environmental performance.
