Housing – transformation
client: private
site: 1190 Forest, BE
design team: E. Bechet – M. Czvek – C. Paquot
timing: 2019 - 2022
status: completed
Located at the foot of the park Duden the project consists in the transformation of an interbellum house and blacksmith's workshop into two housing units. The lower unit is organized through adjustment of the existing workshop structure. The shed roof is punctually open. Rooms – indoor and outdoor – are sequenced in the length of the parcel. The upper dwelling takes place in a new volume. Open to the south, it also benefits from generous northern light.
On the street side the extension and its pattern of green tiles strongly relates to the existing façade. At the back the project opens to the building block with a wooden curtain wall and a southern terrace.
In both units, the choice was made to keep the structural elements visible, from the wooden beams to the steel columns and masonry walls. Hemp blocks are used for interior insulation. Optimal use was made of existing finishing. Locally sourced and reused building materials (ranging from tiling and parquet to kitchen cladding and lighting) contribute to the singularity of the project.
Public space – school square and cycling route
client: City of Brussels
site: 1000 Brussels, BE
design team: act.
participation: WAUW
mobility: Tractebel
timing: 2019 - …
status: under construction
Two large trees are planted on either side of the school square, in a central position on the avenue, forcing cars to slow down. A gesture simple but radical: by colonizing the street, they announce the shift towards a new mobility in the neighbourhood.
The project includes a comprehensive redevelopment of the ground floor, with the creation of three extended crossings. Many paving stones are recovered; the joints are worked in an open manner to encourage their greening and the infiltration of water. Red terracotta touches give a certain liveliness to the landscape. The connection with the neighbouring Heliport slab is made via a large landscaped staircase. This staircase allows at the same time passage and rest, meeting and connecting with the school. The square is marked by a few long concrete lines, reminiscent of the old railway lines and which incorporate benches allowing exchange and encounter.
The practice of cycling is supported by modest but effective playful elements placed on the square.
Housing – interior organization
client: private
site: 1332 Genval, BE
design team: E. Bechet
timing: 2018 - …
status: under construction
Within an apartment building two flats are joined. The existing structure is revealed. It informs the new flat layout. The assembled surface is divided in nine rooms. Large sliding doors allow connection and division between the differentiated spaces.
In two directions “enfilade” rooms enrich the views through the flat. They allow clear programmatic division while bringing uses together.
Housing – renovation
client: private
site: 6230 Pont-à-Celles, BE
design team: E. Bechet
timing: 2017 - 2018
status: completed
In this row house, the attic is carefully arranged according to the spatial logic of the lower floors. The volume under the roof is divided into two identical spaces of generous dimensions; the bathroom takes place in front of the circulation area. The activities of the children’s rooms can extend on a vast landing. The furniture is adapted to the spatial characteristics of the attic space.
On the first floor, the parents’ space is reframed. The fixed furniture announces, as soon as you enter the room, the passage of a threshold, the transition. It affirms the square geometry of the space, emphasizing its different sides.
Feasibility study – masterplan for 25 social housing units
client: VMSW
site: 9240 Zele, BE
design team: act.
landscape and sustainability: Tractebel
timing: 2019
status: competition
The elementary spatial structure of the polder landscape is composed of deep parcels, in between ribbon development and streams. The study reflects on the integration of a new social housing neighbourhood within this larger landscape structure, at the edge of the town centre of Zele.
Derived from the traditional row house typology, new housing types are introduced. Compact dwellings are stacked and stretched, to blend within the lines of the landscape. In the depth of the narrow parcels the type repeats itself around shared open spaces and a green central inner area. The new dwellings merge into the existing fabric while fostering a community feeling.
Housing – renovation and extension
client: private
site: 1000 Brussels, BE
design team: E. Bechet
timing: 2014 - 2017
status: completed
The project takes place in a house built around 1850 in the heart of Brussels. In the 1970s, an additional floor is added, whose windows are distinct from those of the original volume.
Midi Roofscape consists in the transformation and renovation of the entire building as well as the construction of a new roof extension. The latter adds a layer to the building, completing the “collage” that characterizes the street elevations.
The new roof volume establishes a dialogue with the animated - and inhabited - skyline of the surroundings. It offers, in a densely populated district, a welcome outdoor space, a terrace with magnificent views, an open-air room.
