The listed Wiebenga Complex was built in 1922 as a technical school to a design by Jan Gerko Wiebenga. It is currently home to the School of Health Care Studies and the School of Nursing of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. DP6 Architectural Studio and BiermanHenket designed a renovation plan appropriate to the image of a modern health care academy: open and light, with a fresh look about it.
The original building and two later extensions have been renovated and the complex has been extended into the courtyard with a completely new wing. This has resulted in a functional, comfortable and sustainable educational building. The former courtyard has seen the addition of an elongated volume housing public areas and facilities. By making this new heart spacious and uncluttered, the school building has acquired a more open and light character. The newbuild encourages collaboration in ‘skills labs’ on a central location in the complex. The central space created by this process produces short lines to the working environments in the existing wings, encourages interaction and demonstrates collaboration over the entire width of the care chain.