A Ravishing Live/Work Space in Brussels Is Finished With Soils Collected From Building Sites

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Project Credits:

Location: Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Brussels, Belgium

Architect: Hé Architectuur / @he_architectuur

Builder: Sidati

Structural Engineer: Tandem Ingen

Photographer: Tim Van de Velde / @tvdvphotography

From the Architect: "The renovation concerns the transformation of an industrial building into a residential house with a studio and coworking space. In this project we focused on densification, the circular economy, and cohousing.

"The notions of subtlety, simplicity, repetition, and flexibility were central in this project to create an easily adaptable, low-tech building. The roof extension is built in a timber frame structure with exposed beams. Straw bales from a nearby farm were chosen as the insulation material. Clay plaster and rammed earth from the waste soil of Brussels building sites are used for finishing. Second-hand recycled products add character and prevent additional emissions from new materials.

"By using bio-based materials as much as possible, instead of conventional construction materials, the building has a very low ecological impact, and provides a healthy and pleasant living environment. With this project we want to show that building in renewable, raw, and back-to-basic materials are no longer just for rural living but they can also be applied to urban assignments."