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BURO 1 OFFICE
Hooglede-GitsFlexible shell with a rooftop garden above a parking garage
The project involves the construction of a new office building on a strategically located lot at the roundabout on Bruggesteenweg in Hooglede-Gits. The site is part of a broader area undergoing transformation, featuring a mix of residential, commercial, and agricultural uses. The building’s layout is aligned with existing and planned developments in the surrounding area and takes into account visibility and accessibility from the regional road. Through careful positioning along Kruiskalsijdestraat, the building aligns with the building line and scale of the residential buildings behind it, while presenting itself toward Bruggesteenweg as a distinct and recognizable feature in the landscape.
The project places great emphasis on ecology and technical performance. Energy is supplied via heat pumps combined with geothermal energy, and ventilation and lighting are customized per unit, with collective coordination to meet aesthetic and EPB requirements. Water management is handled through infiltration zones in the surrounding green space and a 20,000-liter rainwater cistern, partly for reuse. Fire safety and accessibility are fully integrated into the design, with sufficient evacuation routes and facilities.
With its well-considered volumetry, sustainable ambitions, and clear materialization, the building sets a new standard for contemporary commercial architecture in a mixed-use area. It creates a high-quality workplace that prioritizes comfort, flexibility, and spatial coherence.
Project information
The design focuses on sustainability, flexibility, and visual quality. The building has three stories: a ground-floor parking level with 40 parking spaces (26 of which have charging stations) and 29 bicycle parking spaces, and above that, two open-plan office floors, each approximately 995 m². These floors can be flexibly divided into separate office units (up to five per level) and are being marketed as shell spaces. Access is provided via a central stairwell with an elevator, supplemented by an outdoor staircase leading directly to the rooftop terrace. The roof will be designed as a green roof and communal outdoor space, with sufficient room for solar panels.
Architecturally, the building is conceived as a clearly structured frame in light-colored architectural concrete, with slender columns and a refined facade composition. The concrete structure is deliberately left exposed, serving as both a load-bearing and aesthetic element. The infill is composed of tone-on-tone facade panels in wood or aluminum. Large terraces on the southwest side not only provide outdoor space for each office unit but also offer passive sun protection and create a sense of depth in the facade. The terraces are open and interconnected, forming an additional circulation level via the spiral staircase.
