atelier vens vanbelle designs checkered office building in belgium

ATELIER VENS VANBELLE DESIGNS An EYE-CATCHING OFFICE

in the small flemish city of deinze, atelier vens vanbelle has realized a striking new office building for coaching company heydays. the colorful workplace is designed to be pleasant and homely while following the company’s maxim: ‘stand out from the crowd’.

the front of the site looks onto a busy road while the rear is bordered by the river leie and a nature reserve opposite, which the architects describe as ‘an oasis of peace. the contrast between the front and the back of the plot could hardly be greater.’ the new architectural intervention is therefore imagined as a buffer between the street on one side and nature on the other.

images courtesy of atelier vens vanbelle

an old building that was once a brothel occupied the existing site. following heydays’ motto, the architects transformed it into an abstract volume covered in a checkered elevational treatment.

‘the building fits into the chaotic context where there is a bidding for commercial properties,’ says atelier vens vanbelle. ‘at the same time, it is abstract to such an extent that it attracts attention and evokes amazement.’

once inside, the abstract black and white exterior gives way to the heart of the building: an elongated reception area clad in yellow and white tiles in a zig-zag pattern. this vibrant space establishes a link between the road at the front and the river at the back and provides a place where employees can stop and chat.

the old building is transformed into an abstract block

A WORKPLACE TO FEEL AT HOME IN

for the rest of the interiors, the architects prioritized creating a warm and homely atmosphere. meeting rooms and rooms for individual coaching are designed with optimal acoustics and furnished with red carpet and birch wood trim on the walls and ceiling.

private offices on the first floor also display a fresh and welcoming design while a communal area and adjacent roof terrace on the top floor offer somewhere to relax and unwind with a beautiful view of nature.

‘for many people, a workplace is a place where they spend more time than in their own home, so the pleasant and homely character is extremely important,’ conclude the architects.

the reception area is clad in yellow and white tiles