Wisdom from the Past

Abstract

Multifunctional accommodations (M.F.A.) have been a topic of conversation in the Dutch educational sector since the late 1960s. The first Dutch M.F.A. to have been constructed, the Rijnlands Lyceum in Oegstgeest (R.L.O.), was built at a time when the Dutch government had greatly reduced funding into this sector as a result of the devastating effects of the Second World War in the country. As a result, many schools were executing with insufficient funds, leading to necessary facilities lacking in most schools. The R.L.O. was a result of an at the time rare successful collaboration between a variety of stakeholders, making it an interesting case study for research after its execution. As a result of the approval of the various stakeholders of the R.L.O. after project completion, the Dutch Ministeries of Education and of Culture established a Commission of Multifunctional Accommodations, which was in charge of researching how educational buildings could be used by third parties after school hours. Architect Rutger D. Bleeker, the architect of the R.L.O., had a place in this commission as well. After publishing two reports with their findings in 1975 and 1980, the C.M.A.’s findings were picked up by the Dutch government and used to inspire other schools in the Netherlands to open their doors for multifunctional use. The research question guiding this research is ‘To what extent did the R.L.O. have a significant impact on the Dutch educational system in the second half of the 20th century?’. At the end of the paper, it is found that the R.L.O.’s impact on the Dutch educational sector at the time was extensive and deep rooted, especially in its example of successful stakeholder relationship management and collaboration.