Domesticity, education and welfare: school architecture in post-war Netherlands

Building upon the context of post-war school architecture as a vehicle for democratic renewal and educational reform, this article examines the underexplored theme of domesticity in school design. While prior studies have emphasised the role of pedagogical theory and social welfare policy in shaping educational environments, the concept of ‘home’ — as a design metaphor and spatial intention — has often remained implicit or marginal. This research argues that domesticity is not a pedagogical afterthought, but a central conceptual axis around which school architecture can be understood. Importantly, this analysis does not aim to develop a pedagogical reading per se; instead, it situates the discussion within broader cultural and socio-spatial contexts. Through an examination of public policy and national educational initiatives, the study identifies the school as a crystallisation of state ambitions, before turning to the case of the Netherlands and the work by Herman Hertzberger that exemplifies how these ambitions can materialise architecturally. School domesticity emerges as a culturally contingent concept, embedded in local spatial traditions. While rooted in one particular national setting, the methodological approach is conceived to be extrapolable across diverse contexts. It offers a framework for understanding domesticity as a variable and culturally situated construct, revealing how societies imagine and spatialise care and belonging within educational space.