A renovated 18th-century building is now the beating heart of a co-housing project in Leuven, Belgium. Distinct from the development’s cork-clad apartment blocks, the pitched-roof structure once housed a café called “De Sijs,” which became the new project’s namesake. Beyond the charm of its restored facade, the neighbourhood fixture is the inviting face of OFFICEU architects’ pragmatic and innovative solution to urban housing. The three volumes are linked by an L-shaped circulation axis, along which are located the entrances to the flats and the shared spaces — a move that maximizes residents’ interactions and strengthens their sense of community.
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OFFICEU architects’ inaugural project — a co-housing complex in Leuven, Belgium — is a testament to the firm’s investment in urbanity.