A large new school building on Laan op Zuid will house secondary and higher education under one roof from 2026. cepezed created a spectacular design with a ramp and stairs on the outside. Yet the design remained clear, partly because of the wide inner street on the ground floor. On 4 June was the ‘first shovel moment’.
first shovel
Rotterdam Municipality, the BOOR Foundation and Rotterdam University are building a new, sustainable school complex between Posthumalaan and Laan op Zuid, in the Parkstad development area. On 4 June, alderman Said Kasmi (Education, Culture and Events), Renata Voss (Boor foundation board) and Wijnand van den Brink (Rotterdam University board) gave the official starting signal for construction. Four students symbolically put the first shovel in the ground. The unique collaboration between secondary and higher education and greatly enriches the education on offer in Zuid.
3800 pupils & students
The new complex will house all courses of the Institute for Communication, Media and Information Technology (CMI) and the Creating010 knowledge centre of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Some 3,000 students will use the building. In addition, the Stedelijk Lyceum Rotterdam (BOOR) will move into the building, offering havo and vwo education as well as an International Transition Class department for some 800 students.
interaction
The interaction between secondary and higher education in one building is unique in the Netherlands. Secondary school students are thus introduced to higher education early in their school career. This is also an advantage for the university. Renata Voss has been looking forward to the start of construction of this unique complex. She considers it ‘an innovative concept that fits perfectly with Rotterdam-Zuid, a district that has been at the forefront of urban renewal for several years.
sustainable & open
Wijnand van den Brink indicates that six different study programmes of Hogeschool Rotterdam will soon be studying with secondary school students under one roof. ‘That's going to create a unique interaction. We bring educational disciplines together and we close the education gap, by improving access to good education in Rotterdam-South.’ He also points to the ‘open look’ of the sustainable building, and the connection that will be made with the neighbourhood through activities.
The Onderwijsslocatie Laan op Zuid will be built by Heerkens van Bavel Bouw, which specialises in buildings for education and science. It will be ready for use as of the 2026-2027 school year.
Want to know more about the design of Onderwijslocatie Laan op Zuid? View the project page
start of construction duo school laan op zuid
