Photo: Dudok Architectuur Centrum

Home / Architecture / Architecture Hilversum / Interwar period /Villa Pampedia

Villa Pampedia
1921-1923 / H.J. van der Heijden

Larenseweg 28a, Hilversum

The board of the R.K. Vocational and Domestic School for Girls ordered the erection of a school building with caretaker’s house at Larenseweg 28a in 1921. The construction, after a design by the Hilversum architect H.J. van der Heijden (1887-1942), was completed in 1923. In 2003 the former domestic science school was converted into an apartment complex. In 2008 it was designated as a municipal monument.

R.K. Vocational and Domestic Science School for Girls “Maria Goretti”

A few years after the establishment of the first domestic science school in Hilversum, the Gooise Huishoudschool Vocational School for Girls on Vermeerlaan (1918), the Roman Catholic Church established a second domestic science school in Hilversum. The school was located at 28a Laarderweg (now: Larenseweg) and was named after the Italian saint Maria Goretti, the patroness of young girls. The full two-year course included cooking, washing and ironing, housework, mending, health education and drawing. Separate courses could also be taken, especially intended for ‘ladies and servants’.

‘Demands of the times’

The school was received positively. According to the Hilversum Memorial Book 1424-1924, the domestic science school was organized ‘according to all the requirements of the time’ and it was the second school in the Netherlands where cooking lessons were given according to the ‘modern Danish system’.

The school building

The school was built in an Interbellum style characteristic of the construction period and consists of a wide symmetrical central part with two transverse wings. The staggered facades are built in a light reddish-brown brick and are enlivened by decorative brickwork and ceramic facade decorations. The practice rooms were on the first floor, where there were also a few bedrooms for the resident teaching staff. On the ground floor on both sides of the main hall were the offices for the concierge and management. Furthermore, a kitchen, living and dining room, a theory room, changing rooms, and washing, drying and ironing rooms. The caretaker’s house was located in the backyard, adjacent to the Eemnesserweg.

Architect Van der Heijden

H.J. (Herman) van der Heijden graduated in 1917 as a structural engineer at the Delft University of Technology and started his own office in Hilversum. He was involved in the design of church buildings, factories and houses. Some churches are the Sint-Johannes de Doperkerk in Wageningen (1924), the Mariakerk in Soestdijk (1926, demolished 1978) and the Heilig Hartkerk in Bussum (1931-32, demolished 1991). In Hilversum, he built villas on Julianalaan (1914) and ’s-Gravelandseweg (1924), and he built or renovated various carpet factories on Groest and Herenstraat. Herman van der Heijden was the first of four generations of architects and his great-grandson has since taken over the baton in the architect family.

Theater Achterom

In 1961 the domestic science school got a gym. This was placed transversely to the school at the rear, for which the caretaker’s house had to make way. The gymnasium was designed by architect S.G. Barenbrug (1892-1987), who also carried out some renovations to the school. After the war, the architect from Tilburg had Nic’s architectural office in Hilversum. Andriessen taken over. Theater Achterom was located in the gymnasium for a long time until the building became vacant in 2016 (address Eemnesserweg 7a). The fencing on the Eemnesserweg was also designed by Barenbrug.

Villa Pampedia

In 2003, the school was converted into apartment complex Villa Pampedia by the architectural firm Jonkman and Klinkhamer from Amersfoort. This has not led to major changes to the beautiful facade on the Larenseweg. Subtly arranged are the square windows under the eaves over most of the facade, which have made it possible to live in the attic. In the interior, original details such as original tile pictures with scenes referring to household education have been preserved. The name Villa Pampedia refers to Pampedia, the school for secondary service and health education that was located in the building for several years.