The site is surrounded by a roundabout, the Region road on the old ‘Fossé de la Ville’, and the Schipdonk Canal. Where the open character of the large scale linear infrastructure collides at the market square with the scale of the city centre, the site functions as a hinge between the two. On all sides the building area connects to public domain. This means there is no front or back façade. All facades are equally important and were designed carefully, with the relation between private and public areas constantly in mind. 

The project is a stair-like volume that responds to the immediate context. A remarkable break of scale between the 5 floor levels on the side of the roundabout and the transparent volume of only 1 floor on the side of Kongoplein mark the entrance. The volume cascades downwards, one floor at a time, which reduces negative impact on adjacent plots.

The standard for this project was not merely to achieve the prescribed E-level. Other, less measurable but at least as sustainable aspects are also covered here: spatial context, water and material use, and above all: a pleasant home experience for residents.