Belgium

Leading architect Sumayya Vally, Principal of the Johannesburg/London-based studio Counterspace, has won the competition to design the new Asiat-Darse pedestrian bridge in Vilvoorde, Belgium. Counterspace’s response to the brief uncovered the story and legacy of Paul Panda Farnana, one of the most important, yet least acknowledged figures of the city, who epitomises the region’s complex relationships with past and future generations of migrant bodies and communities. Render: Counterspace The studio has been praised for its research-led approach, which led to the discovery of Farnana and his work, and for shedding light on an otherwise overlooked, vital part of the city’s history. Farnana used his position to advoca... More

A new family home is located on a sloped terrain in Holsbeek, Belgium on the edge of the forest with respect for its context, the surrounding trees, its orientation and the different viewpoints.  Tim Van de Velde The building volume is pushed into the terrain with the entrance, bedrooms and bathroom located on the ground floor to keep the rooms cool in warm weather conditions. But they still have a lot of daylight and views on the forest due to the positioning of the windows.  Tim Van de Velde The different living areas are organized on the second floor with sights towards the forest on one side and the treetops on the other. The living areas are oriented towards the south with a covered terrace at the end overlooking... More

The reception volume, building Q, was located in the heart of the site but did not utilize this position. It hindered necessary circulation and blocked interesting interactions. From this perspective, it was decided to remove this volume. To have a clearer view of the site, the extension of building F was also demolished. Stijn Bollaert The existing islands are now visually or physically connected through a structuring element. They appear as lobes forming a cohesive whole. This composition is a powerful gesture that incorporates the amorphous forms of the existing buildings and potential new additions. Sometimes it avoids the existing structure, sometimes it intersects with it, and sometimes it passes underneath. Stijn Bollaert... More

The interior of this typical Verviers’ house was completely renovated both in terms of spaces and circulation, as well as in terms of thermal and acoustic comfort. Caption All the integrated furniture were design to simplify the volumes, to define each space and to organize the storage.  Caption Outside, on all the façades, the existing volume is completed by new contemporary interventions. Those contrasts with the traditional vocabulary of the existing house. Caption Extension’s panels : Equitone Pictura Black Existing walls : STO  Garden’s surface : 2 700 m2 House’s surface : 250 m2 (living spaces) Caption Caption More

The number of children is increasing in several northern European countries, so is the need for good childcare institutions. It is important to include the children's perspective in the design of the new institutions, and that the architecture supports the development of body and mind.Read the full product experience here: https://stertekt.nl/ Or download our Brochure: https://stertekt.nl/upload/a411bc_2024-v1_Sterktekt_Brochu.pdf Maria Bax Fotografie According to Mille Sylvest, PhD in environmental psychology and partner at the consultancy Human Studio, new buildings should meet the specific needs of the institution in question - and not follow a universal template. She also points out that the architecture of a good childcare instit... More

The project is located in Rue de Madeleine in the center of Brussels. De groundfloor is a former art gallery. The space was remodelled to sell baked goods.   The large showcase window from the previous gallery lends itself well to displaying the baked goods in the store. It entices people to enter and inquire. Once inside a large countertop fills the space. Along the sides of the space there is seating. Previously used spaces create oppurtunities to create sitting corners.   The project is a collaboration of Studio toto and product designer and developer Jasper Aelvoet, who designed the interior of the store.   Fase :             Finished Year :             &... More

The project is located in the commune of Oppuurs. The house is part of a series of four equal houses of the 90's. The house is semi-open. Characteristic of the house is the high roof volume, which today is only used as 'attic space'.  Today the ground and second floor are used by the residents. The high, generous roof structure creates the opportunity to include the current attic space with the rest of the house. Removing the existing staircase that currently connects the ground and first floor is a first step in this. By providing a smooth, comfortable connection between the ground floor and first floor on the one hand, and the first floor and second floor on the other, the attic is physically and visually included with the rest of t... More

The apartment was built in 1960 and was in the condition in which the very first owner ever bought it.The original bathroom and kitchen had typical blue tiles that were never changed. In the rest of the apartment bright floral wallpaper was coated on the walls. An oak chevron parquet floor was laid in the living room. An oversized hallway/corridor offered the opportunity to expand the living space to the widest extent. The walls between the living space and hallway, also the hallway between the kitchen were demolished. The concrete skeleton remains and forms a spatial boundary between the different rooms in the apartment. All the rooms are open and connected with each other. All the interior furniture was designed so that the apartment an... More

This apartment has been a special project. Being a fan of Gustave Strauven’s work, it was an honour to be able to improve the second floor of this charming building. Fully transforming the previous two studios into one apartment circular apartment, around the core. A difficult plan that had no space for a second bedroom and only one small bathroom, became a home with space for storage, a sharing bathroom to two bedrooms and a separate toilet. A spacious kitchen, living room and dining room, by eliminating difficult corners and angles from the previous construction. More