The Jakoba Mulderhuis is the new center for the Faculty of Technology at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. A team of designers worked on the project; architects from Powerhouse Company, the Architekten Cie. and Marc Koehler Architects, and interior architects from Ex Interiors and Studio Groen+Schild.

The ambition of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences was to create an environment that optimally facilitates education, practice-oriented research, and professional practice. Additionally, the Faculty of Technology aims to connect people and technology by showcasing what they do. A spacious, bright entrance hall welcomes you upon arrival. You immediately get acquainted with the faculty through a number of exhibitions. Three frames of recycled steel provide students with a place to show who they are, what they do, and what they stand for. The slender steel frames are a theme in the interior. They come in different sizes and are found in various locations, on the ground floor and also on the upper floors.

From the entrance, you enter the impressive atrium. The terraces in this atrium are the heart of the building. Here, students see each other, students who may follow a completely different direction than themselves. It is the place where crossovers between different disciplines can emerge. Flexibility was the keyword in this project. More and more work is being done on a project basis, there are fewer lectures, and students work in communities. Teachers and students can shape their study environment themselves. The chosen furniture is adjustable, mobile, and/or movable. Acoustic curtains can be used to make spaces larger or smaller. The designed interior is thus multifunctional and optimally flexible.

Photography: Sebastian van Damme

Projectteam Studio Groen+Schild:
Ellen Schild, Loran Kampen, Kim Mazeland, Elkie Goos, Rosanne Bommartini, Thijs Bongers