Brick E
Brick E
Brick E
Brick E
Brick E
Brick E

ARCHITECT

Archi 2000

 

FACING BRICKS

Nature7 Brick E

 

PROCESSING

grey joint, stretcher bond

 

Text : © Archi 2000

Photos : © Georges De Kinder

 

Info about
building with Brick7'?'

Mettewie residential care facility demands attention with striking façade elements and variation in brickwork

 

The construction of this new rest home which provides specialist care in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek comprises 117 individual rooms as well as 24 comfortable and bright assisted living apartments. The building is located on the corner of Louis Mettewielaan and Condorlaan. On the street side, it forms a compact volume in facing brick, with 8 upper floors which have alternating solid and void sections.

 


Recessed elements and canopies which highlight the public or communal areas bring the façade to life. The balconies accentuate the top two floors. Slight variations in the execution of the brickwork bring a discrete diversity to the look of the design. The choice of brick was determined by searching for a brick with nuances that would contribute towards the varying visual language of the building. The technical requirements and the agreed budget were also taken into account in the process.

 

The ground floor and basement level 1 predominantly house the reception area and administrative functions. The rooms at the rest home are located on the ground floor up to the fifth floor, while the assisted living apartments are found on the sixth and seventh floors and also have a separate entrance. Each residential unit has its own bathroom with disabled access shower. Both the rooms and the assisted living apartments are connected to the rest home’s nurse call system.
 

 
Some rooms are west-facing and look out onto both tree-lined Louis Mettewielaan with its urban hustle and bustle and also the greenery of Scheutbos park. Other rooms are east-facing, with a rather restful view of a residential district.
 
 
On each floor, there are communal facilities with the main one being the “Grand Café” which not only the rest home residents but also local residents can enjoy, making it the vibrant heart of the building. These communal areas which have a social and recreational function feature generous terraces. On the ground floor, there is also a hair salon and on the lower ground floor, there is a physiotherapy room which looks out onto the gardens. The rest home also has a large landscaped garden. The aim of the building’s design is to be open and to connect with the neighbourhood and surrounding area.
 
See below the ecological benefit we get with this project by using the ecological Brick7 format:
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

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