Delftse Montessorischool, Delftse Vereniging voor Montessori-Onderwijs [Delft Association for Montessori Education]
Original name
Delftse Montessorischool [Delft Montessori School]
Original use
Education, Center for higher education / school
Current use
Education, Center for higher education / school
Architects
Herman Hertzberger
Concrete by reinforcement
Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.
To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element .
Construction method
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.
This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength.
Normally, the elements are made for commercialization, to standard measurements. In special cases, however, a specific element may be designed for a particular project, which may also include its own anchoring system.
One of the most well-known cases of the design of a system of specific blocks and supports is Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘textile block’ .
Architectural concrete
- textured walls
- wooden formwork finish
- stamped concrete
- exposed aggregate concrete, colored concrete, etc.
Structural types
Beams are the horizontal load-bearing elements of the frame. Columns are the vertical elements of the frame and act as the building’s primary load-bearing element. They transmit the beam loads down to the foundations.
State of Conservation
Description
Herman Hertzerberger devoted part of his professional career to typological research focused on school architecture, understanding it as a teaching tool: the architecture was not merely a container but an active part of the learning process.
At the Montessori school in Delft, Hertzerberger translated the teaching principles of the Montessori method into the spaces: the building was meant to promote individual work and creativity, while, at the same time, fostering education in coexistence, cooperation, and communal living. In short, it was a testing ground for life in society. This idea resulted in a building that resembles a small city in its complexity: it provides secluded nooks – breaking with the classic, singular rectangular space of the classroom – and areas for relating with others, where spatial complexity was intentionally sought out. The whole was articulated based on a clear system for organic growth, which allowed for the building to be expanded a total of six times.
The school’s construction and its expansions were also understood as an opportunity for learning. To that end, Hertzerberger designed a system that was simple and intuitive, so the children could participate in the process as though they were playing a game. The system centred on construction using exposed concrete blocks, which were initially left without any surface finishes.
Netherlands
Jacoba van Beierenlaan 166
South Holland 2613 JK Delft
Commission
1959
Completion
1966