A unique habitat in the heart of Leuven

In a historic city like Leuven, strict planning rules define the framework. The new volumes are therefore carefully tuned to the heritage buildings of the medieval Diestsestraat gate street, the Blauwputgang passage and the listed gatehouse. Street façades follow the existing rhythm, while heights and depths align seamlessly. A prefabricated concrete plinth with shopfronts forms the base for the upper levels with 19 bright apartments and studios, in a refined brick façade, offering a contemporary adaptation of the historic buildings and marking the passage towards the patio and office spaces.

Rather than a hard boundary, the project creates a visual and physical connection between the busy shopping street and the green inner courtyard. A fully glazed street façade and an open elevation towards the garden allow the office space to act as a transparent passage, providing oversight of the semi-public centre of the project. Internal circulation and a central patio connect different levels and enable a wide range of spatial scenarios.

The new volumes of Vanden Tymple are carefully stitched into the fabric of the existing row houses and accommodate nine generous apartments, each with a large terrace and a view of the shared garden. The covered passage to both the underground car park and the courtyard turns the interior of the block into a semi-public space where cars, cyclists and pedestrians cross safely and vistas open up between street and garden. At the heart of the block, private gardens for ground-floor family homes sit alongside a collective picking garden, vegetable plots, a covered bicycle parking with workshop and places to meet and have a picnic.

Archipelago’s office space spans two floors around a light-filled atrium, with views on both a vibrant city and the green patio and inner garden. Natural materials and diverse work settings create a homely, flexible work environment based on the principles of activity based working. The work café forms the link with the city and could be opened outside office hours. Environmental impact is reduced through smart interventions inspired by a right-tech approach. A natural ventilation concept is supported by the central atrium which enhances the stack effect.

The open structure and layout ensure good air flow, effective thermal mass and ample daylight. As a result, the building’s energy demand remains very low and the amount of technical installations and piping can be significantly reduced. Realistic simulations, intelligent heating and cooling systems and low-maintenance technologies further minimise technical systems and their environmental impact.

Het is de patio die het schouweffect én de interactie stimuleert en niet het ventilatieconcept.Dus eerder “a natural ventilation concept is supported by the central atrium, which enhances …”

This entire design expresses our core beliefs as a design practice. It shows how we honour the context of a place while creating modern urban living spaces in a permeable green city block. At the same time, the new work environment actively supports staff wellbeing and, through sufficiency strategies, underpins sustainable development.