At the construction site of the new GO! primary school Het Klavertje Vier in Knesselare, we celebrated an important milestone: the building has reached its highest point. Together with the school management, we symbolically raised the topping-out flag. And yes, that also called for a well-earned serving of fries for the site team and all partners contributing to the project every day.

At Democo, moments like this carry an extra layer of meaning. Alongside the topping-out flag, we also plant a real tree with Treebytree in the name of the client. In that way, our Democo May Forest in Madagascar continues to grow with every project.

In Knesselare, we are delivering a completely new school site with a strong focus on connection, comfort and smart shared use. Now that the structural works have been completed, the finishing phase can begin. If everything goes according to plan, the school will move into the new building in early 2027. Full completion of the project, including the demolition of the temporary accommodation and the landscaping of the outdoor area, is scheduled for mid-May 2027.

What makes this project special is the combination of a warm, well-structured school environment and infrastructure that can also be used outside school hours. The building is organised around three clear zones: the school, the central heart and the sports cluster. This central heart will bring together, among other things, a spacious entrance area, dining hall, library, foyer space and forum staircase. The outdoor area connects seamlessly to that concept, with linked play zones by age group, small kindergarten gardens, quiet areas and an active play zone on the roof of the dining hall.

The works are part of Aurora Scholen, the consortium of investors EPICo and Rebel and contractors Democo and Van Roey. The Energy Circle is responsible for long-term maintenance. The design was created by evr-architecten. The construction team is further strengthened by M-gineers, Daidalos Peutz, Seco and several subcontractors.

With the top-out milestone reached, the new school in Knesselare is now another step closer to opening.