Community Centre
The design of the new community center in Oud-Heverlee emerges from its landscape and village context, creating new opportunities for social interaction at the heart of the village. Alongside the presbytery and the church, it forms a distinct architectural presence, firmly rooted in the character of the village and clearly expressing its civic function. By separating the community center from the presbytery, a narrow passage is created, which connects the Village Square to the presbytery garden and offers views of the church along the way.
The building’s openness and integration into the public realm strengthen social connections and revitalise the village center. Large glazed openings facing the Village Square, the presbytery garden and the entrance along Bogaardenstraat create an inviting, café-like atmosphere that sparks curiosity. They also establish visual connections with the activities taking place inside and around the hall.
The building's adaptable form folds into the existing park landscape of sloping terrain, tree-lined avenues and the old yew tree. Dark purple glazed façade tiles reflect the filtered light falling through the trees and subtly pick up the colours of their surroundings. Its modest scale and gently sloping green roof allows the building to settle naturally among the trees and within the village landscape. Reclaimed bricks from the demolished hall form the surrounding walls and define the building's plinth. Beginning at the Village Square, the brickwork continues along Bogaardenstraat before unfolding into a generous garden staircase leading to the main hall’s entrance.
The spaces between the sections of the enclosing walls create a variety of indoor and outdoor settings, open to all and accommodating different uses and atmospheres. They encourage social interaction, extend the interior into the outdoors and establish connections with activities taking place in the hall. Their intimate, village-scale proportions lend the setting a familiar, domestic character.
The building’s concept is simple and legible, following directly from the overall spatial design. Conceived as a folded volume, the community center combines a rational structural system of a concrete foundation slab, columns integrated into the external walls and glulam timber beams spanning the roof. The integration of structural elements allows for a high degree of spatial flexibility. The event hall is deliberately left ‘raw and unfinished’, like a workshop where the sense that anything is possible remains tangible. At the same time, timber accents introduce warmth and create a cheerful, welcoming atmosphere.
Both the interior and exterior make use of low-maintenance materials, following the principle that construction itself serves as the finish. Technical services and pipework remain exposed, ensuring easy access for maintenance and repairs. This honest expression of the building’s construction and materials reinforces its architectural character. The design also aims for a fossil-fuel-free building, integrating energy performance into the architectural concept while prioritising functionality and spatial quality.
