PIKOH School of Arts by BOT architektuurcollectief & Import Export Architecture

The PIKOH School of Arts in Hasselt represents a pioneering educational environment for secondary students specializing in visual, media, and performing arts. Faced with rapid growth in student enrollment, the school required a new building for first-year students that could accommodate classrooms, workshops, a restaurant, a multipurpose hall, a sports hall, and administration spaces. This expansion forms part of the larger transformation of the “Elfde-Linie” city campus, which draws inspiration from the American campus model, emphasizing flexibility, connectivity, and a holistic approach to learning.

The building is strategically positioned along the edge of the site, approximately 40 meters from the Demer River, creating a visual and functional connection to the surrounding urban and natural environment. To the north, the Kapermolenpark anchors the campus layout, offering recreational and green spaces that complement the school’s learning and performance areas. A generous green playground provides students with ample outdoor space for play, social interaction, and informal learning activities, integrating the natural landscape seamlessly with the architecture.

Embracing Topography and Connectivity

The design responds directly to the site’s existing topography. A series of indoor and outdoor staircases creates multiple vertical and horizontal connections between the new building and the adjacent campus structures. These staircases serve as informal gathering places, promoting social interaction and encouraging students to move freely throughout the campus. The design strategy aligns with PIKOH’s educational vision of a hybrid learning environment, where openness, daylight, and spatial flexibility replace traditional corridors and static classrooms.

The building is composed of a clear and compact five-storey volume, allowing for efficient spatial organization while maintaining a strong visual identity. The plan emphasizes transparency and visual connectivity, with glazed technical workshops and open art studios lining the longitudinal façades. These spaces enhance both interaction and observation, enabling students and teachers to witness and participate in the creative process across different disciplines.

Learning Nests and Innovation Clusters

Inside the building, classroom floors are organized into “learning nests”, clusters of three classrooms located at the ends of each floor. This arrangement fosters collaboration and interdisciplinary learning, enabling students to engage in both theory and practice without physical or visual barriers. On the south side, “innovation clusters” support co-teaching and project-based learning, while the north side accommodates more traditional classroom environments for focused study. This dual approach ensures the building supports diverse teaching methods and learning styles.

At the heart of the building lies the forum, a multifunctional space designed to act as a central hub. The forum can serve as a meeting point, exhibition area, open studio, or debate zone, creating a dynamic social and educational environment. The plan libre concept allows functions to flow seamlessly, providing a fluid experience for students and teachers. By combining formal and informal learning zones, the building encourages exploration, experimentation, and creative collaboration throughout the day.

Arts, Sports, and Performance

The upper floors are dedicated to sports, dance, and theater, organized around a central agora that serves as a flexible gathering space. This arrangement draws inspiration from the archetypal industrial artist’s studio, emphasizing robustness, adaptability, and openness. High ceilings, open floor plates, and clear sightlines enhance both functionality and spatial experience, supporting physical activities, performance rehearsals, and collaborative workshops.

Materiality and Architectural Identity

The architecture communicates a sober, robust, and contemporary aesthetic. Distinctive concrete cross-columns give the building a strong structural identity, while the transparent ground floor visually connects the interior with the surrounding park and playground. Aluminium cladding on the façades provides a subtle shimmer, reflecting natural light and harmonizing with the greenery. Horizontally oriented 1x1m windows are arranged at a human scale, providing panoramic views of the landscape and reinforcing the building’s connection to its context.

By combining industrial-inspired aesthetics with modern detailing, the building conveys a sense of permanence and adaptability, suitable for the evolving needs of an arts-focused educational institution. Every design decision, from material choice to spatial organization, supports PIKOH’s mission to foster creativity, interaction, and active learning.

A Vision for Future Learning

PIKOH School of Arts exemplifies how educational architecture can support innovative teaching methods while fostering community, interaction, and creative exploration. Its thoughtful organization, integration with the natural environment, and attention to materiality and spatial dynamics create a holistic learning environment. By combining classroom flexibility, open studios, performance spaces, and green areas, the campus not only addresses the school’s immediate growth but also anticipates the evolving needs of arts education in the 21st century.

Through its innovative spatial design and carefully curated material palette, PIKOH has established a new standard for hybrid educational environments, where art, culture, and learning converge, providing students with a stimulating, inclusive, and inspiring environment.

Photography: Jeroen Verrecht