Jack Bransdma
Studying in suspension

Doetinchem’s Rietveldlyceum (secondary school), which was designed in the early 1960s, represents one of Gerrit Rietveld’s last designs. Rietveld’s familiar style can be traced in the school’s layout, including the dominant shape with its non-conformist floor plan, the wide wings, the triangular assembly hall and the building’s horizontal emphasis. The building, which features a lot of glass, is characterized by a high degree of openness and spaciousness. These qualities make visiting the building a pleasant experience. Yet, at the same time, the building’s openness is seen as a disadvantage to our current educational system where self-motivation is highly prioritized. For this reason the school started searching for additional workstations that could offer a certain amount of privacy yet were, simultaneously, mobile. From research that included students’ input, it was found that there was mainly a need for individual workstations that would allow a certain amount of movement (rocking). Designer Jack Brandsma was commissioned to create an appropriate object. He designed an attractive workstation for the assembly hall in the shape of a polyester cocoon that hangs on a frame measuring 3.5 meters. A total of nine suspended workstations will be installed in which the students can withdraw and enjoy a certain amount of privacy. The built in armrest simultaneously serves as a table.