A striking new workshop building featuring bright green steel-framed staircases has been completed at a technical school campus in Belgium. The Atelier PPW, designed by local architecture studio NWLND Rogiers Vandeputte in collaboration with architect Kris Broidioi, replaces a structurally compromised building that previously divided the VTI Oostende campus in Ostend. The innovative educational facility has been shortlisted in the education project category of the prestigious Dezeen Awards 2025.

The building's distinctive design follows a philosophy of "building only what is essential," according to the architects. Two prominent staircase towers wrapped in bright green vertical steel slats bookend the structure, creating easily identifiable access points that serve not only the new building but also provide step-free access to neighboring existing buildings. Behind these striking green elements, a reddish-brown concrete frame filled with full-height glazing houses flexible workshop and teaching spaces designed to adapt to changing educational needs.

"Every design decision stems from the idea of doing more with less: less material, less fixed, less energy needed," explained Pieter Vandeputte, an associate at NWLND Rogiers Vandeputte. The project deliberately strips architecture down to its structural and functional core, revealing a clear framework that can evolve over time. By externalizing circulation systems and technical infrastructure, the design frees up interior space and minimizes the volume that requires climate control.

The heart of the building centers around an open, double-height space divided by a row of concrete columns, designed to facilitate what the architects call "creative chaos." This central hall remains visible from both the campus and the street through expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing punctuated by vertical red steel supports. The transparency creates a visual connection between the interior activities and the surrounding educational environment, showcasing the dynamic learning processes taking place inside.

The building's upper levels feature carefully planned educational spaces that maximize flexibility and functionality. On the first floor, classrooms overlook the large central hall and are separated by reconfigurable partition walls that can be adjusted based on teaching requirements. The top floor houses a series of smaller, specialized workshop spaces that provide students with hands-on learning environments for technical education programs.

Metal walkways line the building's inner facade, overlooking the central campus courtyard and reinforcing the external circulation concept. The uppermost walkway has been painted the same bright green as the stair towers and features metal grilles designed to support climbing plants, adding a natural element to the industrial aesthetic. This integration of vegetation demonstrates the project's commitment to sustainable design principles.

"The most defining gesture is the externalization of circulation and infrastructure, turning a technical necessity into an architectural statement," Vandeputte noted. The external walkways and stairs extend beyond the building itself to connect with neighboring structures, creating clear pedestrian links across the entire campus. In future phases, existing circulation cores will receive the same green steel finish to reinforce wayfinding and visual continuity throughout the educational complex.

The Atelier PPW represents a broader approach to sustainable educational architecture that prioritizes adaptability and resource efficiency. The robust, minimal structure demonstrates how thoughtful design can create spaces that are simultaneously open, flexible, and easily readable by users. As Vandeputte emphasized, the building serves as "an architecture that teaches by example and celebrates simplicity as a sustainable act," making it both a functional educational facility and a learning tool in itself.

This project continues NWLND Rogiers Vandeputte's exploration of reddish-brown concrete as a signature material, previously featured in their garden pavilion and swimming pool house addition to a residence in Flanders. The Atelier PPW joins other notable projects shortlisted in the Dezeen Awards 2025 education category, including a "bulging" arts center at Brighton College in the United Kingdom and a social hub for T A Pai Management Institute in India, highlighting innovative approaches to contemporary educational architecture worldwide.