WilderNes

Learning through nature & architecture

WilderNes is a school designed around the natural processes of its location, Polder de Nes — an outer-dike polder north of Amsterdam, situated between the Markermeer and the peat meadow landscape of Waterland.

The design encourages children to experience and understand nature, while also reflecting on the impact of human actions on the environment.

The architecture draws inspiration from the historic village of Marken, where buildings cluster together to create sheltered spaces between them. Similarly, WilderNes uses small squares, alleys, and courtyards to foster protection, social interaction, and views toward the surrounding landscape.

As a Montessori school, the design embraces discovery and interaction.

Locally sourced materials are left visible and tangible, making their lifecycle part of the learning process. The building responds to its setting in different ways: towards the fragile peat meadows, the school integrates into the dike with a bird-watching wall as an entrance; towards the Markermeer, classrooms are shaped by protrusions and indentations, with some lifted on stilts or floating on water. In certain places, the school even contributes to the development of natural banks, creating sheltered habitats against wind and waves.

The school is embedded in a larger landscape design that restores part of the cultural polder landscape to nature, allowing it to become wild again. In this way, WilderNes not only provides education but also actively enriches its environment.