Residential Complex Heist-op-den-Berg
A carefully orchestrated interplay between living and gathering, between private and public realms, lies at the heart of the design. Resulting in a building that functions not only as a home, but also as an open, generous space for the wider community.
Project Residential, Public function
Location Heist-op-den-Berg, BE
Client
Imroco
Type Commission
Team SMAK Architects
De Groof
Stabilos
Studiebureau HV
Status
Under construction
Area
2.750m²
Living above a library
To embed the project harmoniously within its urban context, the design employs the natural slope of the terrain. The library, which presents itself as a modest single-story volume along the street, unfolds into two fully-fledged floors at the rear of the site.
As a result, the complex is perceived from the shopping street as a compact residential building, finely attuned to the scale of its neighboring buildings. The traditional pitched roof reinforces a familiar and recognizable silhouette, allowing the development to settle naturally into the existing streetscape.
Connecting people and places
Given the project’s public character, the relationship between the building and the public realm remained a constant design focus. Consequently, the existing pedestrian footpath running alongside the building, has been widened and redeveloped. This intervention contributes to a safer and more inviting pedestrian connection between the nearby school campus and the town center.
On the street side, the transparent foyer of the library enters into a reciprocal dialogue with the retail street. A clear and open plinth warmly welcomes passers-by, while itself enjoying a direct connection with the public life of the municipality.
Refined façade detailing
The distinction between public and private functions is subtly articulated through the building’s material expression and refined façade detailing. The library is wrapped in a pronounced stack bond with protruding headers.
An architectural gesture that not only emphasizes the public function of the library, but also lends the adjacent passage a dynamic and expressive character. The compact residential volume is detailed in a similar yet more subdued manner, ensuring a coherence architecture across the ensemble.