
Insight
We made a careful study of the site at the Vergotedok, located in the rapidly evolving canal zone of Brussels, and found an interesting mix of atmospheres. Typical Brussels row houses in front and a hidden warehouse at the back. Open views towards the water and cement silos on the opposite side. Heritage buildings and a hyper-diverse neighbourhood.
To maintain this mix of atmospheres, a strategy of ‘sufficiency’ was proposed as the guiding principle for the design of the project. This means that we look first at what is available, in terms of spaces, structure and energy, and then look at strategies to use ‘just enough’ for specific activities taking place in the building.
To preserve as much as possible from the existing structures, we looked at purely the safety limits for the loadbearing construction, instead of applying the conventional norm that doesn’t allow for any bending of the components (which is a purely aesthetical condition). For energy use, we apply an adaptive comfort model that changes along with the weather as well as the occupation inside the building and allows for certain peak temperatures throughout the year without disrupting any of the daily operations.
Insight
The co-creation process for this project started with camping out at the former Greenpeace offices and the Rainbow Warrior ship in Ostend. We observed different activities, received spontaneous feedback and set up a survey to gather data about the different profiles working at Greenpeace (staff, volunteers, activists and local organizations). From the staff, the largest group, we received a clear request for more interaction with other profiles to create a more dynamic atmosphere.
Next, an activity-based approach led us to identify a number of work activities at Greenpeace: large meetings, small meetings, informal meetings, focus work, calling, eating, making things, climbing. Spaces linked to these activities are not only accessible to different profiles, but are also visible from the public entrance onwards, connected through a central courtyard that gives a clear view on the headquarters as a whole.
The sharing of these spaces, by Greenpeace and local organizations, can support social interaction and foster a sense of community. Next to tailoring the program to the needs of Greenpeace, we therefore looked at the management of these shared spaces by clustering activities and considering shared facilities as well as important acoustical barriers. In this way, we created a work environment where multiple activities can happen simultaneously and interfere if desired.
To maintain this mix of atmospheres, a strategy of ‘sufficiency’ was proposed as the guiding principle for the design of the project. This means that we look first at what is available, in terms of spaces, structure and energy, and then look at strategies to use ‘just enough’ for specific activities taking place in the building.
Low-impact environmentally, should have a high impact architecturally. The choice to preserve, renovate and transform is not only critical for the mitigation of embodied carbon, it also challenges us to play out the phenomenon of incremental bricolage to uncover a great diversity of spaces.
Following our aim to match existing structures and energy flows with specific activities, we made some evident choices for the programming of the project, like the old organ atelier in the back becoming the workshop for Greenpeace activists, or placing the guest rooms in the front row houses. However, in between front and back, we designed an elaborate sequence of indoor and outdoor spaces, public and private areas, and more or less conditioned interior climates, providing Greenpeace multiple spatial options to organize themselves.
An important but invisible factor in our approach is the use of air. Ventilation is monitored for each space separately so that we can allow a diverse use of space, while also reducing shafts and avoid unnecessary structural interventions. The ventilation system is moreover combined with a strategy for natural ventilative cooling. Through a simple monitoring system, windows open automatically, based on inside and outside temperature, wind, and the CO2 levels in the interior spaces. In this way, with a little help from technology, we do not only preserve but also optimize the potential of the existing spaces towards their next stage in the building’s life cycle.