Architecture that supports how students learn
How acoustic design and on-site support helped realize the vision for a 54-metre university atrium.
The atrium at the heart of Jakoba Mulderhuis, where open floors, natural light and acoustic design work together to support 7,000 students.
A building with a personal mission
In September 2022, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences opened the Jakoba Mulderhuis, a new 25,000m² building for up to 7,000 students from the Faculty of Technology.
The building comprises a 13-storey tower and a 6-storey low-rise section, and holds a BREEAM Excellent sustainability certification, one of the highest standards in green building.
But for two of the architects involved, this wasn't just another project.
Marc Koehler (Marc Koehler Architects) and Nanne de Ru (founder of Powerhouse Company), both studied at this university in 1999. Back then, students attended in a concrete office building repurposed as a faculty, with small windows, low ceilings and endless closed rooms.
"Hence, as students, we only had a vague idea of what other students in our building were working on," said De Ru. When the tender for the Jakoba Mulderhuis came up, they saw their chance to do something different.
The challenge of a 54-metre atrium
The centrepiece of the Jakoba Mulderhuis is its atrium, a 54-metre-high open space connecting all floors. With open plan floors students can see and hear each other across the building.
"The atrium has become a kind of educational theatre where students can present themselves to each other and to the outside world," said De Ru.
It's a powerful concept. But acoustically, it's a serious challenge.
Project-based education is built on collaboration, sharing ideas, being inspired by what others are working on. The atrium makes all of that visible. But in a huge open space filled with thousands of students, noise builds fast, causing distractions.
To solve this, the architects brought in acoustic consultants immediately after design approval. Their conclusion was clear: Sound had to be addressed at every surface, floors, walls and ceilings, to prevent it from travelling freely across the atrium.
But how do you treat every surface in a space this large without compromising the light, open aesthetic the whole design was built around?
Project info
Project name
Jakoba Mulderhuis Building at AUAS
Location
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Installation
Photography
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Products used
Rockfon® Mono Acoustic
ViewThe 54-metre high atrium where Rockfon Mono Acoustic was installed using full height scaffolding.
Students talking, moving and focusing, all in the same open space without disturbing each other.
The seamless stairs and ceiling surface pulls in more natural daylight.
“The high-quality white finish contributes to the generous, light and fine atmosphere we had in mind”
Stefan Prins
— Architect and partner at Powerhouse Company
All floors open and connected, showing exactly the kind of collaborative environment the building was designed for.
An atrium as an educational theatre
The Jakoba Mulderhuis shows what open plan learning can looks like when acoustics and light are considered as core design elements: A building where the architecture actively supports the way students learn.
Also want to design a space that supports the way people work and learn Get in touch, and together we'll find the acoustic solution that fits your project.
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