SO Lux is a special education school located on Stauntonstraat in Zuilen, a district of the Dutch city of Utrecht. The building was originally constructed in 1973 but over time no longer met contemporary spatial and functional requirements. The school provides education for children with special educational needs who require additional support.

Context and renovation

The school was characterised as a single-storey building organised as two wings extending across the site. This low-rise form made the building’s function difficult to read. The school had become outdated, with a cluttered layout, long corridors, no clearly defined entrance, and no central meeting space. Despite these shortcomings, the structure offered a clear underlying framework, generous outdoor space, and the potential to support the project’s sustainability ambitions. Rather than demolish the building, the decision was made to renovate and reorganise it.

Over the years, the school had been expanded and altered in several places. The renovation sought to clarify the structure by returning it as much as possible to its original spatial logic. The building’s heart has also been reintroduced in the location where it once existed. Material choices were coordinated with the character of the original design and with the surrounding yellow-toned brick housing of the Zuilen district.

Canopy and entrance

A new canopy wraps around the building like an elastic band. Extending beyond the eaves, it acts as a unifying element that connects the two wings of the school. At the point where the wings meet, the space has been opened to form a central meeting area that links the two outdoor spaces. Here the canopy rises in a smooth line, concealing roof installations while also marking the new main entrance on Stauntonstraat. The canopy itself is constructed from natural stone granulate panels set between aluminium ribs. At curved sections, the spacing between the ribs is reduced, reinforcing the geometry of the canopy.

Section and facade strategy

The design strategy builds on the existing cross section. Along Stauntonstraat, the corridor zones sit slightly lower than the adjacent classrooms. This height difference allowed new building services to be organised above the corridor zones, from where installations serve both circulation areas and the teaching spaces. The insulated enclosure of these installations forms a new architectural facade element. At the junction of the two building wings, the new meeting space connects the outdoor areas and, through the canopy above, provides sheltered space for outdoor play.

Earlier extensions along the street facade have been clarified so that they read as distinct elements within the overall composition, restoring rhythm to the long elevation. The spaces between these extensions form a series of patios that create a gradual transition between the interior corridors and the public realm.

Interior organisation

The renovation works within the existing structural framework of the school. The main load-bearing structure consists of masonry columns combined with a load-bearing wall at every third grid.

Teaching now takes place in smaller groups, allowing the main classrooms to occupy two structural grids. The third grid forms a link to the neighbouring classroom and contains supporting functions, including a side room and a toilet directly adjacent to the classroom. This arrangement places key facilities close to each teaching space and allows teachers to maintain visual oversight.

Offices are organised around the main entrance, while existing extensions accommodate specialist care functions including speech therapy and play supervision. The team room is positioned in a more sheltered location adjacent to the building’s central heart.

Interior environment

The interior design focuses on how the building is experienced from the child’s perspective, with attention to colour, natural elements, and tactile materials.

Within the corridor zones, time-out areas have been introduced alongside quiet rooms where children can withdraw when needed. Materials and spatial atmosphere were chosen with the sensitivities of the students in mind, supporting concentration and calm.

Environmental performance 

The most significant environmental benefit came from renovating the existing building rather than demolishing it. Retaining the structure reduced construction waste and avoided emissions associated with new materials.

The project initially aimed to meet the Nearly Energy Neutral Building (BENG) standard widely used in the Netherlands. During the design process, the ambition shifted to achieving the Energy Neutral Building (ENG) standard, which was ultimately realised. This performance is supported by the building’s high level of airtightness, with a Qv10 value of 0.19, as well as full exterior insulation of the building envelope.

The new canopy also functions as a sunshade, contributing to the building’s energy performance. Together with improvements to the thermal envelope, the building now operates as energy-neutral and incorporates an on-site energy storage system.

The school is heated using an air-source heat pump. Classrooms are heated through underfloor heating, supplemented by preheated air supplied by a central air-handling system. The gymnasium uses a Frenger ceiling system that provides both heating and cooling, with a separate air-handling unit for ventilation.

Climate adaptation and biodiversity were also addressed. A green roof was installed and the canopy incorporates numerous nesting boxes. The schoolyard has been redesigned with increased planting and reduced paved surfaces.

Collaboration, landscape, and community

The design developed through a series of collaborative working groups addressing the integration of the educational programme, sports facilities, and outdoor space. Working with the wider design team, the project was realised as an integrated plan within a constrained budget.

The landscape design strengthens the relationship between the building and the surrounding neighbourhood while encouraging movement within a natural setting. Patios provide sheltered outdoor spaces and create connections between interior and exterior environments.

Artist Roosje Donselaar contributed an artwork that allows children to follow the stars through the building — a symbolic route reflecting personal growth and development.

Lux serves a regional student population drawn from a range of backgrounds, including children with physical disabilities. The renovation provides a learning environment where students can develop within a safe and supportive setting. The reuse of the existing building also gives new life to the site within the district of Zuilen.