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Feasibility study on the spatial and technical possibilities in the reconversion of building "R" of the former gendarmerie barracks in Ixelles.
  • Client: Society for Urban Development (sau-msi.brussels)

  • Timing: 2022

  • Status: Executed

The closed site of the former Fritz Toussaint Barracks in Ixelles, now Usquare.brussels, is a new residential and university district that has the ambition of creating an innovative, international, inclusive and sustainable urban district in which circularity has a prominent place.

On the 3.9-hectare site, the plan envisages a new mixed district with family and student housing, as well as open spaces with collective facilities, and a new meeting space for the residents of the surrounding neighbourhoods with a new 2,000-square-metre park, making the enclosed and exclusive character of the barracks a thing of the past. There will also be research units and equipment such as the FabLab for the nearby universities VUB and ULB.

Can building "R" with 1970s office spaces handle a residential infill? Besides purely structural aspects, our feasibility study also highlights which types of flats are spatially possible in the building. The study also addresses the associated parking issue.

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Analysis

  • A targeted technical audit including an inventory of the spatial conditions of the building;
  • an integral building-technical, structural and building-physical analysis of the building and the critical nodes with a focus on feasibility and opportunities with regard to sustainability & circularity, residential quality & capacity, structural quality & financial feasibility.
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Scenarios

Examination of both programmatic and technical aspects is elaborated in function of constructionally robust and efficient solutions with a view to elaborating the scenarios as economically efficient as possible.

Building-specific requirements are integrally included in the elaboration of spatial and programmatic elaboration.

Meet our specialist team

From Team Renovation, Restoration & Maintenance (4)

Alexander S

ir. arch. Alexander Scheepers

Project architect
E-mail |
BB Arno oct 2014

ir. arch. Arno Van Hulle

Project architect
Maintenance consultant
E-mail |
Bert 569 A0759 Gemiddeld

arch. Bert Van den Bergh

Project architect
Advisor renovation & restoration
E-mail |
Katalin 569 A0733 Gemiddeld

arch. Katalin Urban

Technical expert
E-mail |

From Team Sustainability, Energy & Comfort (2)

Emma 569 A0561 Gemiddeld

ir. arch. Emma Van De Steene

Energy and sustainability advisor
E-mail |
BB Robbe oct2014

ir. arch. Robbe Verelst

Energy and sustainability advisor
Building physics engineer
E-mail |

From Team Knowledge Innovation & Technology (1)

Raf 569 A3809 Gemiddeld

arch. Raf De Preter

Expert construction details
Façade advisor
E-mail |

From Team Computer Aided Design & BIM (1)

KATIE

arch. ass. Katie Van der Borght

Technical designer
BIM modeller
E-mail |
TAGS: Feasibility study