Architecture that supports how students learn

How acoustic design and on-site support helped realize the vision for a 54-metre university atrium.

Jakoba Mulderhuis University Building, Amsterdam | Case Studies

The atrium at the heart of Jakoba Mulderhuis, where open floors, natural light and acoustic design work together to support 7,000 students.

A building with a personal mission

In September 2022, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences opened the Jakoba Mulderhuis, a new 25,000m² building for up to 7,000 students from the Faculty of Technology.

The building comprises a 13-storey tower and a 6-storey low-rise section, and holds a BREEAM Excellent sustainability certification, one of the highest standards in green building.

But for two of the architects involved, this wasn't just another project.
Marc Koehler (Marc Koehler Architects) and Nanne de Ru (founder of Powerhouse Company), both studied at this university in 1999. Back then, students attended in a concrete office building repurposed as a faculty, with small windows, low ceilings and endless closed rooms.

"Hence, as students, we only had a vague idea of what other students in our building were working on," said De Ru. When the tender for the Jakoba Mulderhuis came up, they saw their chance to do something different.

The challenge of a 54-metre atrium

The centrepiece of the Jakoba Mulderhuis is its atrium, a 54-metre-high open space connecting all floors. With open plan floors students can see and hear each other across the building.

"The atrium has become a kind of educational theatre where students can present themselves to each other and to the outside world," said De Ru.
It's a powerful concept. But acoustically, it's a serious challenge.

Project-based education is built on collaboration, sharing ideas, being inspired by what others are working on. The atrium makes all of that visible. But in a huge open space filled with thousands of students, noise builds fast, causing distractions.

To solve this, the architects brought in acoustic consultants immediately after design approval. Their conclusion was clear: Sound had to be addressed at every surface, floors, walls and ceilings, to prevent it from travelling freely across the atrium.

But how do you treat every surface in a space this large without compromising the light, open aesthetic the whole design was built around?

Project info

Project name

Jakoba Mulderhuis Building at AUAS

Location

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Architecture

Powerhouse Company, Marc Koehler Architects, Architekten Cie

Installation

VAB Afbouwgroep Volendam

Photography

Sebastian van Damme

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Products used

Rockfon® Mono Acoustic

View

The 54-metre high atrium where Rockfon Mono Acoustic was installed using full height scaffolding.

Students talking, moving and focusing, all in the same open space without disturbing each other.

The seamless stairs and ceiling surface pulls in more natural daylight.

Supporting project based learning

The answer was to make every surface functional. Not just the ceiling, but balustrades and walls too. The material chosen with acoustic absorption in mind.

Across the atrium and in the corridor zones, 400m² of Rockfon Mono Acoustic was installed. A seamless surface, finished in white, it matched the light aesthetic while offering high acoustic performance. The surface also reflects and diffuses daylight evenly across the atrium, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

"The high-quality white finish contributes to the generous, light and fine atmosphere we had in mind," said Stefan Prins, architect and partner at Powerhouse Company.

The result is a space where students can see what their peers are doing, collaborate openly, and present their work, without being pulled out of concentration by uncontrolled noise.

“The high-quality white finish contributes to the generous, light and fine atmosphere we had in mind”

Stefan Prins

— Architect and partner at Powerhouse Company

An expert on site when it mattered

Given the ceiling heights of the floors protruding into the atrium, the entire ceiling installation had to be carried out from within scaffolding. Constructing, sanding, plastering, sanding again, applying three layers of acoustic render, each requiring drying time before the next could go on.

Rockfon Area Sales Manager Jan de Jong stayed closely involved throughout the process. "It's a significant task that required precise preparation and coordination," said De Jong. "I visited the construction site several times to stay informed of the progress. How is the assembly going? Are there gaps or problems? And how can Rockfon offer support here?"

That kind of on-site involvement, thinking along with the team, troubleshooting in real time, is what turns a product specification into a quality result.

All floors open and connected, showing exactly the kind of collaborative environment the building was designed for.

An atrium as an educational theatre

The Jakoba Mulderhuis shows what open plan learning can looks like when acoustics and light are considered as core design elements: A building where the architecture actively supports the way students learn.

Also want to design a space that supports the way people work and learn Get in touch, and together we'll find the acoustic solution that fits your project.