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Case study - Vanden Tymple - Diestestraat
A unique habitat in the centre of Leuven
How a redevelopment in the centre of Leuven, at the corner of Diestsetraat/Vanden Tymplestraat, evolved into a high-quality urban project geared to the needs of future generations. An ideal mix of greenery, living, shopping and working!
Vanden Tymple - Diestestraat
Description
Construction of a mixed office and residential complex in the city centre of Leuven
Responsible
Kris Loix
Partners
Macobo Stabo
-Matriciel
Location
Leuven
Client
Rialto
Area
3.700 m²
A mix of housing, shops and green
The existing site is characterised by an inner zone paved with nearly 100% mineral and a street scape defined by vehicles and parking areas, with the accompanying social issues. For this project, in an effort to create quality space in the urban environment, we opted for an ideal blend of living-shopping-working and greenery in proximity to public transport facilities (train-bus):
– Converting a 100% mineral inner area today with above-ground parking and its social problem areas into a high quality green inner area soon to include, among other things, various community-driven activities;
– Focus on the navigability of the wider inner area from its own site;
– Accommodation of transparent (day) related functions on the plots located in core shopping area with the necessary social control of the inner area;
– Qualitative houses and studios to complete the two street fronts and with high standards of sustainability in the broadest sense of the word.
– Careful processing of the volumes in harmony with heritage and the medieval street ‘Diestsestraat’ in connection with the adjacent ‘blauwputgang’ and the protected gate building;
– Removal of the entire parking requirement and more from ground level due to underground parking.
With respect for yesterday, today and tomorrow
In accordance with the town planning regulations, the building fronts will be continued along the two adjoining streets in such a way that both in terms of building heights and building depths, a connection is sought with the existing buildings. The number of building heights imposed by the city of Leuven was respected on both Diestsestraat and Vanden Tymplestraat sides. From the cornices, aligned with the existing cornices of the adjoining buildings, a top storey retracted at 45° will be realised. The zoning is residential (studios and flats).
We ensured careful processing of the volumes in harmony with the area’s heritage and the medieval street ‘Diestsestraat’ following the adjacent ‘blauwputgang’ and the protected gate building.
The typical architectural design language of a ground floor showcase, as a kind of ‘pedestal’ and ‘frame’ in prefab concrete with upper floors in relief brick, is preserved.
The existing fineness of the façade composition and the use of different colours in the elaboration of the façade materials, i.e. brick and concrete, will also regain its original form, albeit in a contemporary way.
An exterior entrance has been constructed along the left side of the plot where the vertical circulation is open to both the studios above and the underground car park. This corridor leads to a pleasant patio at the back and has an inviting character. It provides access to a multifunctional and open space at the rear, which can be used as a studio/office/workspace, and extends over the entire ground floor area.
We ensured careful processing of the volumes in harmony with the area’s heritage and the medieval street ‘Diestsestraat’ following the adjacent ‘blauwputgang’ and the protected gate building.
An integrated programme in an urban context
Precisely because of this open and transparent zoning, the project creates a bridge to the surrounding greenery, without being a closed buffer! The ground floor of the block has both a transparent front facade to Diestsestraat and an open rear facade to the inner area. By doing so, a relationship is created, through the exceptionally bright office space, between the tranquil vegetable garden and the bustling shopping street. This ‘open plan’ not only reinforces and inspires but also provides the necessary social control over the green semi-public inner area.
With the introduction of an integral enclosure and an integral patio, these building layers can be entered and reached at different levels and a multitude of user scenarios are possible.
All buildings are constructed according to the principle of separation of structure and interior, allowing for adaptability in the future. This translates into a fully concrete skeleton, with non-load-bearing façades and internal walls. Levels -1 and ground floor along Diestsestraat, for example, are given excess height and are designed as open platforms so that they can host multiple functions.
On the side along Vanden Tymplestraat, the façade will be finished in line with the existing adjacent buildings, taking into account the number of storeys and cornice heights. The building accommodates 9 spacious flats.
The ground floor also provides access to the underground car park, as well as a ground floor connection to the green enclosed inner area. The scale of the passage (both height and width) is deliberately designed to provide safe access to the underground parking layers on the one hand and a natural and easy connection for soft traffic (pedestrians and cyclists) on the other hand. The location of the passageway at the planned location also provides clear perspectives from the street to the semi-public functions housed in the inner area, including the bicycle storage with space for a possible bicycle repair shop.
The block has an equal number of storeys as the adjacent buildings, i.e. two and three storeys. The cornice heights of the two neighbours are adopted in an architecturally responsible manner. The footpath also has a gradient of 90cm over the entire length of the facade of the project, so that the zero passes of the ground floors vary in connection with the public domain.
The ground floor houses two spacious ground floor residences with spacious and well oriented private gardens situated on the south-west facade. One of the two houses replaces the single-family house currently present on the site and is therefore directly accessible from the public domain. Three apartments are planned on the 1st floor, two of which are sun-drenched and one single-sided oriented on the rear facade with a view of the green inner area. On the 2nd floor, the volume on the side of the two storeys is withdrawn within the gable of 45° from the cornice and three apartments are also provided. The upper apartment is withdrawn also taking into account the gable line of 45° from the cornice.
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