MFA De Botter in 'Schooldomein'

In the 'Architecture and Imagination' section of the magazine Schooldomein, the May 2023 edition features an article on MFA De Botter in Lelystad designed by IAA Architecten together with Aveco de Bondt. Theme of the article is "Connecting Naturally".

MFA De Botter, the social heart of the neighbourhood

MFA De Botter in Lelystad is a multifunctional accommodation in the De Botter district. The building bundles facilities of a Christian primary school for 270 pupils (De Schakell), a child-care centre with 4 groups and an ASC (both GO!), a sports hall, a consultation centre (Icare) and a neighbourhood centre (Gemeente Lelystad).

Naturally connecting

The building is explicitly designed to form a unity and encourages the various users to share and use each other's spaces and facilities. This is done through functional interchangeability, clear routing and consistency in colour and materials in the interior and exterior, allowing the users to interact with each other without compromising their own identity.

With the surrounding residential area, the building adopts a somewhat similar strategy: the vulnerable outdoor areas for the youngest children (CCC/ASC and first years of primary school) are combined in sheltered gardens on the inner side of the building. The outdoor areas for the senior years and the community centre are located on the outer side of the building and are robustly designed so that they can also serve as a community facility outside the MFA's opening hours. In this way, the building explicitly aims to connect with the neighbourhood and the community centre.