Nursery of the EU Council

Creation of a nursery, to be used by the staff of the Council of the European Union. It includes 14 units with a capacity of 190 children in an existing office and a residential/commercial building. Color was used on the exterior balconies to create a playfulness which contrasts with the darker surroundings of the neighborhood. The interior is very child centered and a place where children can learn and grow.

Due to a lack of childcare facilities in Brussels, the Council of the European Union, which gathers the ministers of the various EU countries in Brussels, decided to set up its own facilities. To that purpose, STRABAG Belgium invested in renovating and re-designing the building on the Leuvensesteenweg in Schaarbeek. The child care center can accomodate up to 180 children of EU officials. In 2004 STRABAG took the initiative of buying the land and the existing buildings on the Leuvensesteenweg in co-operation with the estate agent Knight Frank and the SOPEDI Real Estate Financial Products company, who vouched for the financial and legal processing of the project. STRABAG subsequently did the research on redesigning the buildings into a new child care center. After partial demolition and structural renovation of the two existing buildings, the day nursery now fulfils the most stringent standards as regards safety and comfort. Particular attention was paid to safety. That is why doors with glass windows have been installed in all the units so that visibility on both sides of the doors is guaranteed at all times. The falling aspect was also afforded attention: the flooring consists of a flexible material lying on a foundation layer of cork, which absorbs impact. Finally, adjusted children’s-length banisters give an extra safe feeling when climbing the stairs.