Sustainable and student-proof furniture I Gispen

Assink Lyceum is a wide-ranging school of secondary education in southern Twente and the north-east region of the Netherlands that focuses on talent-based education. This is where students are challenged to develop their talents and to surprise themselves. To this end, the lyceum has realised a number of work/study centres. Gispen supplied both the standard and tailormade furniture pieces for these learning environments. Paul Sak representing Assink Lyceum: "It's wonderful to see how the students are using the new facilities! Our teachers are quite enthusiastic as well."

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS AND TEMPORARY RENTAL FURNITURE

Assink Lyceum is a school for all levels of secondary education . At its largest location in Haaksbergen, the lyceum has realised three work/study centres and the location in Eibergen now has one as well. Gispen fully furnished these open learning and working areas according to the interior design by KEK dnl. Rob Stöver, Gispen account manager: "The lyceum requested several tailormade furniture pieces in addition to furniture from our standard product range. Durable, tailormade furniture that will last for at least 20 years, which requires little maintenance and is student-proof. When not all the furniture could be delivered on time, we temporarily installed rental furniture so that the school’s primary process was not interrupted."

MORE SPACE FOR PROJECT-BASED AND INDIVIDUAL WORKING

Receiving instructions from your teacher in class and then working on assignments individually or in small groups. This is becoming more common in education. Students are challenged to work independently and to participate in projects. That does, however, require something from the physical spaces in which the education takes place. Rob Stöver: "Traditional classrooms are fine for class discussions, but if you want to have the students work in groups you need to accommodate this. Assink Lyceum wanted to realise a number of work/study centres alongside their classrooms. This is where students can work in groups on specific assignments after receiving plenary instructions in a classroom. The teacher walks around and can keep a good overview of the entire area from their sit-stand desk."

INDESTRUCTIBLE, DURABLE MATERIALS

The architects at KeK designed the new work/study centres and specified the required furniture. Gispen was awarded the contract after participating in a tender procedure. Important starting points for the project were sustainable furniture and student-proof materials. Rob: "In education, you often see study areas with coach seat setups. For Assink Lyceum, we made custom coach seats from concrete and multiplex material. Very solid and indestructible. While laughing: "I would be willing to bet that these coach seats will last for at least twenty years. We also added special washable cushions for comfort. Groups of students can also work together at low, round Gispen Kolm tables, surrounded by chairs with seats made from recycled PET bottles. There is a wide variety of seating solutions to choose from. In addition to the train benches and low tables, pupils and staff can sit on long benches or custom-made high tables (1.05 metres) with matching high stools.

SOLUTION-BASED THINKING

It was due to delivery problems with raw materials that not all the furniture could be delivered on time. Gispen installed temporary rental furniture in collaboration with its partner Alvero Kantoormeubelverhuur (office furniture rentals). Rob: "This is a good example of solution-based thinking. We did so continuously in close consultation with Paul Sak, our first point of contact with the Technical Services of the school." Paul: "Due to COVID and the war in Ukraine, we had some bad luck with deliveries. Nonetheless, I look back on a successful implementation of this project, precisely because of how closely we worked together. Rob and I had lots of contact, which was very pleasant."

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE RESULT?

Paul: "The result is fantastic, we are very pleased. The work/study centres add a sense of variety to the environment, thanks to the different pieces of furniture that were chosen. This gives it a fresh and attractive look. We also created a nice ambience with fixed planters. Several partitions have been placed in a playful manner, so that each group has its own place to work together and focus on their task. At the start of the academic year we had an open house for new students, but some former students came to have a look as well. The response we received on our new interior was very positive! Assink Lyceum is ready for the new era of education."

Photography: Chris van Koeverden

Rob Stöver - Gispen account manager

A word from the specialist

“It is becoming common practice for an entire class to receive instructions and to then work on assignments individually or in groups. Schools do need to have the space for such work methods. We realised various work/study centres (or more commonly phrased: open learning environments) for Assink Lyceum. Both the students and teachers are very happy with the result. During the project we worked closely together with Paul Sak, which was a great experience. Paul was always on-site, thought about everything and came up with clever solutions when issues arose. That is what teamwork is all about!"

"WE HAVE ACHIEVED THIS WONDERFUL RESULT BY WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER WTH GISPEN AND CONTINUOUSLY THINKING IN TERMS OF SOLUTIONS. OUR SCHOOL IS READY FOR THE NEW ERA OF EDUCATION!"

Paul Sak Head of Technical Services at Assink Lyceum

Paul Sak - Head of Technical Services at Assink Lyceum

The client’s thoughts

“I have been working at this school for thirty-six years, so you could say I'm part of the furniture. I therefore know exactly what works and what doesn't. Gispen and I worked closely together during the installation of the furniture at our new work/study centres. Gispen's fitters installed the tabletops and I had tips on how to secure them properly. Students tend to lean on tabletops or use them as a support. The coach seats were also firmly secured to one another. It is by thinking in terms of solutions that we achieved this wonderful end result together."