Mixed-use at its best
In June 2019, together with CULD and FaulknerBrowns Architects, we were awarded the contract for Campus de Braak in Helmond: a mixed-use stadium that brings together various functions and features outdoor spaces designed for sports and relaxation.
Project
Campus de Braak
Location
Helmond, Netherlands
Client
Municipality of Helmond and Ons Middelbaar Onderwijs
Size
11,400 m2
Programme
Stadium, secondary school, parking, sports hall and outdoor space
Status
Completed
Various users
Multifunctionality is central to the new stadium in Helmond. The campus will become the home base of Helmond Sport and the Praktijkschool Helmond. There will also be a NOC*NSF sports hall, several gymnasiums, and facilities for SV de Braak and JvdI de Fysioclub.
Encouraging shared use
Through interactive sessions, all these users have been involved in the development of smart floor plans, overall logistics, and the shared use of various spaces. For example, the changing rooms are shared by both SV De Braak and other amateur sports clubs, the youth academy of Helmond Sport, the vocational school, and the adjacent Dr. Knippenberg College. They use these facilities at different times.
The design
Although the building is used by various parties, it exudes a strong sense of unity through the use of a ‘curtain wall’ that brings the whole together. This curtain is shaped by powerful gold-brown façade columns that give the building stature and dynamism. These façade columns are detached from the physical façade and give the building an iconic, tapering main form. They follow the entrance openings in the façades and the various access points to the stadium, thereby enhancing the overall dynamism.
Every square meter of greenery
For Campus de Braak, careful consideration was given to how every square meter could be made as green as possible. This has a positive effect on the required water storage and heat stress.
Grandstand configuration
A special aspect of the stadium is the configuration of the stands. Helmond Sport has chosen to start with two fully covered longitudinal stands in the current design, offering approximately 3,600 seats. Thanks to this configuration, the stadium capacity can be expanded in the future by an additional 1,400 (covered) seats within the building’s contours.
A place for fun
The entire complex is designed in combination with sports and play, with the building and landscape blending seamlessly into one another. The athletics track surrounding the stadium sometimes runs over the embankment and even the roof of the building. Next to the athletics track is a promenade with a shared pedestrian and bicycle path, where various routes and paths from the surrounding area converge. In this way, Campus de Braak is not only a place for sports but also a place where people can relax and, above all, have fun.
In the picture
