Brussels, Belgium
Gilles Goffin and Letitia Huerta Prieto of archipelago convert a disused office building into a welcoming town hall housing 450 Uccle administrative officers by transforming an infrastructure designed for private companies into space for an open administration, whilst preserving its heritage.
The municipality of Uccle acquired the old headquarters from Fabricom, an industrial machines company, in 2014 and started a competition procedure for the renovation of the building.
The competition was won by the archipelago and construction works started in 2019.
Three years later, the studio presents a highly innovative project which aims for a positive impact on both its social and ecological environment.
According to the architects, a town hall needs to be inviting for the community so their first intervention was to redefine the private green area around the building as a public garden.
To encourage interaction between civil servants and citizens, archipelago has created a large “citizen area” at the entrance of the building, which is connected to each floor of the building and to all the services of the town hall.
The lobby, meeting spaces, and the public conference rooms on the roof can each function independently from the daily activities in the town hall.
Modular workspaces are designed to cover the evolving needs of an ever-changing administration.
In order to further support a dynamic working environment, archipelago has transformed the halls and passageways into places for spontaneous interaction and informal meetings.
These places are visually connected to the surrounding public garden and receive ample natural daylight.
The interior design of the workspaces, as well as the furniture and even the signage, are designed also by archipelago.
A clear circulation scheme ensures that visitors and staff can interact on the ground floor and in public areas, but keeps the different flows separated throughout the building.
From the start of the design process, the architects have looked at this renovation project as part of a larger change in society towards a circular economy.
“We first made an extensive study of the existing building and the elements that can be reused. We also carefully analyzed the energetic performance of the façade to optimally reuse the external elements in concrete,” claim the architects.
The architectural interventions are subtle and respectful while creating a contemporary identity.
The rigorous expression of the building’s structure is preserved.
Different window patterns create a link between the floor levels and offer a lighter reading of the façade.
For heating and cooling, archipelago collaborates with Vivaqua, the public distributor of water in Brussels, and together they develop a pilot project that uses riothermia, energy derived from wastewater, optimally utilizing existing energy flows and the specific local conditions of the site.
Project: Project U Building
Architects: archipelago
Design Team: Gilles Goffin and Leticia Huerta Prieto
Construction: Nasri Houaiss and Jesus Alvarez
MEP Engineers: MK Engineering
Structure Engineers: Steel & Co
Photographers: Stijn Bollaert
