TRANS ARCHITECTUUR | STEDENBOUW

The commission for the sheltered workshop company Ryhove was to design a new office building as the new face for the company, plus offering an answer to a logistical issue. The existing reception building from the early 90s was in very bad condition and the loading and unloading area at Koningsdal gave a somewhat uninviting appearance to the street.

The new building was used to restructure the site and organize the logistic activities, hidden from the street.

The center of gravity of the new hollow, L-shaped building coincides with the loading and unloading area. By chosing not to move the trucks to the back of the site, and positioning them in the central court, the arrival of bulk materials and departure of the finished goods can be observed from every angle.

The façade facing the street refers to the surrounding rowhouses and subtly fits in with a similar rhythm and structure.

The materials are used in an honest and natural way. The supporting concrete structure is pushed outwards and, due to its visible tectonic structure, gives the building its industrial appearance.

The wooden CLT roof that reaches from the inside to the outside softens the whole and makes clear that the activity inside takes place in a homely environment.

Method - Made - Measure

The assignment contains a simple but extreme contrast: how can an industrial building get an address in a residential area?

Method Made

On the site, the measures of the neighbouring terraced houses are used as a method to articulate the façade of the new building. The roof shape is familiar and continues the sequence of the houses.

Made to Measure

The mechanical repetition of familiar elements announces a turnaround: the domestic type gets industrial allure around the inner court.

Once entered, the large scale recedes. Every workplace appears to resume the size of the house. A familiar place for the best tailor-made work.

source: TRANS architectuur | stedenbouw