Sheep Stable

The city of Almere has a sheep population of about 80 sheep. To centralize and house this population, a sheep stable was needed. The sheep are mobilized to keep the powerful weed 'acanthus' that grows in Almere under control. The stable is designed with a homogeneous cross-section. The construction and cladding is made of wood. Only the curved girders are made of steel. The stable is designed to receive visitors like citizens or school classes. At the end, on the second floor, a room for the shepherd and a small office is realised. The part of the building where the sheep reside is relatively low; the high part is situated above the pathway and the hay storage section. This shape also creates a natural flow for the air inside the building, which is refreshed by two slits at the foot of each long side of the building.

The detailing of the corner of the building is extremely important for the overall experience of the architecture of this building. It emphasises the cross sectional shape of it, and finishes the long façade of the building, which starts as a façade and slowly becomes roof. The construction and cladding are made of wood. To emphasise the tubelike shape of the interior the curved girders are made of steel; this would have been less strong using twice as high wooden girders. The tube has three daylight openings, of which one is a public window. The walls in the stable and office are clad with beech plywood.

The stable is designed to make it possible for the public or schools to visit the building and experience the sheep keeping up close. At one end of the building a room for the shepherd and a small office is realised. There are sleeping facilities for the shepherd, who has to stay over night in case any sheep are lambing. People with a mental or psychiatric disability, supervised by the shepherd, do work in and around the stable. The Muslim community will be able to buy the lambs they need for yearly ritual purposes. The stable lies at the edge of city and forest. It is subtly integrated into the green, without disappearing. The main material is the sustainably produced wood for the facades. The ventilation system is natural, not mechanical. Its function integrates several groups in society; a public function for visitors, a place to work for mentally disabled people and a religious function for the Muslim community, to buy the lambs for the Ramadan.