The reconversion of the building on the rue de Belgrade raises important and emblematic questions for Brussels, such as; the reconversion of office buildings into housing, the transformation of the heritage of the 60s and 70s, the relationship between a brutalist architecture and a rather heterogeneous context, articulation of a building that is significantly larger and taller than the surrounding neighborhood made up of small traditional Brussels dwellings, enhancement of an atypical architecture despite/within a traditional context, energy performance and sustainability (cycle of materials, social aspects, etc. ), renovation while respecting and enhancing the architectural qualities of the building.

We have approached the question pragmatically on all the dimensions mentioned above, which also includes the aesthetic and plastic question, by detailing what in the existing building is worth preserving.

Our proposal aims to actualise and amplify the particular architectural characteristics of this building. This architecture, made of wiggles, cantilevers, large suspended horizontals, and abstraction, exudes a certain harshness. Our proposal aims to accompany the intrinsic logic of the building and allows us to develop a transformation project that is economical, truly sustainable, plastically abundant and strong.

The redevelopment of floors intended for office/showroom use is a major challenge in this type of building. We have chosen an organisation that takes advantage of these difficulties; a semi-organic, natural, and fluid organisation that follows the internal circulation to offer a distribution that is at the same time very efficient, original, pleasant, and varied. The current vertical circulation is maintained and improved, it remains the only distribution system on the floors, and the interior distribution corridors are minimised but staged to accompany the movements in a cinematic and dynamic sequence.

The project makes the most of the building's inner structural constitution (beam/column system). This system of punctual structure allows the definition of spaces to be freed up to give them soft, hyper-ergonomic flexibility.

Client : Commune de Forest
Team : Lhoas & Lhoas Architectes, MK enginering (HVAC, PEB), ASB buro (stabilité), Securisan (santé et sécurité), ATS (acoustique), Francesco Nicolai IMAG (IN) E (rendus)

Garage construction in Uccle

Refurbishment of a house located in the seaside of Tudy island - Brittany
Originally a fisherman’s house, the place provides a stunning view on the port. The small space of 31m² including living room - dining room - kitchen accumulated daily life elements (fridge, tv screen, book shelves, table etc) in a chaotic way. Besides, the family was in need of storage space on this holiday house.
A white painted structure was designed to give rhythm to the space and to enclose the different uses. In continuity with the kitchen, storage spaces alternate with benches in order to frame views on the surrounding landscape.

Statut : completed
Surface : 80 m²
Location : île Tudy - France

"Rue des Bégonias" in Watermael-Boitsfort, full renovation of a single-family house including the creation of two dormer windows, two bathrooms and a kitchen

This typical Brussels house is defined by its brick facade, the strongly framed big openings and the layout of the windows on the garden side. A humble nature that the project tries to emphasise by adding small touches, in order to shift the image of the house into something joyful and interesting.
There is also the idea of giving a contemporary touch to the fluidity of spaces and the general volumetry. That is the case, for instance, of the rooms at the last floor, liberated to have the feeling of a continuous space. The roof is perforated with disproportionate (almost monumental) dormer windows. They allow creating generous ceiling heights, a very good lighting and unusual views, while giving a peculiar personality to a generic roof.
We can find the will to take advantage of the existing in the small interventions as well: the incongruity of the small staircase that leads to the garden is emphasised by a green railing, the handrail of the interior staircase is highlighted by the same colour that we also see in some parts of the windows, the front door or some furniture pieces.
Furniture elements act the same way: form, colour and material diversity are both differentiated and in continuity with the existing; a pink work surface mixes up with stainless steel and a wooden bench and a table that have coloured metallic legs.

Refurbishment of a family house in Uccle
Made to measure furnitures in the kitchen & bathroom