The Sint-Jozef care campus is the result of a competition which consisted of drawing up a masterplan for the whole of the site along with an architectural conception for the new construction. The starting point for the masterplan implied an analysis of pre-existing conditions: the existing infrastructure, the existing built environment (villas, horticultural college), the possibilities for development, existing greenery…
Following dialogue with the local neighbours, we put a great deal of emphasis on preserving the existing nature, on creating the new construction in a single phase without hindering the functioning of the site (continuation of care during the construction works), on a maximum of potential for the remaining plots (after demolition) and on being as harmoniously integrated into the environment as possible.
We made a conscious choice to limit the height of the new construction to three levels in order to avoid any major contrast with neighbouring buildings. The new care campus is located to the rear of the site, thus conserving the existing trees and only demolishing a part of the existing buildings. Heavy traffic (cars, deliveries) passes along the existing Condédreef and is as far as possible directed to the right of the parcel. In this way, a very large green area in front of the building is preserved and will be laid out as a park with zones for horticulture and a new play area. The green area behind the new building will be more private in character.
| program | construction and rehabilitation of the ‘Sint Jozef’ care campus (135 residents) |
| client | Kortrijk CPAS |
| address | Condedreef 16 - 8500 Kortrijk - Belgium |
| building type | care • learn • live |
| status | under construction |
| offices | antwerp |
| size | 12.125 m² |
| team | architect: assar architects stability studies: BM Engineering special techniques studies: BM Engineering peb: BM Engineering |
In front of the building, a walkway along its whole length will provide access to the different functions: the creche, the serviced residence, the district team and the security service.
This location will ensure that the meeting area is lively. The serviced residence itself, with its care dispensed by nurses, its living zones and its residential blocks, is located behind and above these more public areas, thus providing more privacy. The main entrance is located at the centre of the walkway and provides access to the central stairway and to the visitors’ lifts. The serviced residence comprises eight distinct construction units of the size of a ‘family house’, interconnected in an angular manner. These houses are perpendicular to the walkway and all of the rooms thus have a south west orientation.
