Evers 2
A new-found rigour
The competition-winning design starts from an appreciation of what exists: the pleasing articulation of the building’s façade; its confident if somewhat overwhelming presence in the streetscape; the generous floor to floor heights coupled with an unobstructed square floor plan of
28.4 m x 28.4 m.
Through a strategy of subtraction, we distill an uncomplicated brutalist form from the existing architecture and open up space for greenery. Deleting the external circulation shaft with its imposing verticality allows us to reconnect the building to the immediate environs and eliminate its excessive impact and shading of the street. By locally demolishing the ground floor slab we create sunken gardens outdoors and double-height spaces indoors—opening up new perspectives, a breath of fresh air for the street and interiors alike.
For the freshly exposed elevation behind the demolished vertical shaft we design a continuation of the characteristic façade with projecting concrete panels, but materialised in glass brick— subtly differentiating between new and old.
Room for community
Stairs and lift are relocated from the erased external shaft into the bowels of the building, where they take advantage of existing slab perforations for technical services. Here we partially demolish the concrete slab on every other floor, creating duplex communities of simple student rooms organised around collective double-height ‘agora’ spaces. Two shared kitchens are located on every floor, positioned at opposite corners.
At roof level the existing technical plant space is replaced by two new floors, based on a sustainable, lightweight structure using cross-laminated timber. The lower floor consists of two separate volumes accommodating collective student facilities, set amid a lush green roof. An additional storey with student rooms caps off the building. The new floors are recessed from the existing façade and their height remains under the old building height dictated by the demolished external shaft, reducing the impact on the surroundings.
Within the freed-up space at street level we create clearly articulated, separate entrances for the student housing, for the car park and for a new commercial space on the ground floor. Circulating through the building we encounter a range of collective spaces offering different ambiences and levels of privacy: the downstairs double-height student foyer with sunken garden and recreational facilities on -1; the central double-height agora spaces and shared kitchens on typical floors; and the roof garden with study rooms. The latter sits largely sheltered behind the existing façade, except for a large new balcony which offers panoramic views over Brussels.
Margins for sustainability
We are able to retain and reuse no less than 85% of the original structure, its generous dimensions supporting easy adaptability and sustainable modification. It allows us to insulate the building on the inside with lime-hemp blocks, preserving the image-defining concrete façade panels on the outside. The ample ceiling height lets us add new finishes on top of the existing floor build-up without the need for the laborious removal of old finishes.
Both the sunken gardens above the car park basement and the roof gardens have only limited soil depths. Lush vegetation here is guaranteed by the application of a so-called ‘polder roof’-system which buffers water in a retention layer below the soil, reducing heat stress and providing a reserve supply during droughts. Excess water is stored in the rainwater tank and used for plant irrigation, selected washrooms and maintenance of common areas and outdoor spaces.
The communal green spaces at basement and roof level improve the ecological and climatological robustness of the complex and provide pleasant sanctuaries for residents. The existing garden to the back of the building remains inaccessible, establishing a visual and acoustic filter to the adjacent housing. Here an improved biodiversity is prioritised, with native plant species and a swale for water infiltration and retention—an ecological buffer within the urban environment.
Our design aims to become an exemplary exercise in creative re-use of office space, a highly relevant issue within the Brussels context. But our ambitions reach further. We leverage the building programme to create a ripple effect for the wider surroundings, improving the liveliness and visual appearance of the streetscape, the climate and ecology of the neighbourhood.
