This industrial constructive logic, where the building can be summarized as a repetition of a single transversal section, is transformed once you are in the interior, because the vision of the whole length of the building is stronger than the repetition of the module. The intervention in the building activates all the elements of the original building creating the new program, and reuses its physical, spatial and historical qualities to make the new construction more efficient and to reinforce the character of the original building.

The original building is 100m long, where the first decision was to bring the value of its maximum dimension, which is the length. We access through the center creating an interior square where the promenade of the interior stairs begins in diagonal double ascending. The original building is communicated physically and visually from the ground level until the roof structure. This vestibule also connects the building to Parellada Street and the Fabra & Coats complex square. This new communal space is the new structural contribution to the original building.

The new construction is by assemblage, it is a dry construction with just few materials, as in the original industrial building. Wood is used in all its forms: solid, agglomerated, cross laminated… Materials are joined as if it was a textile. To sew and un-sew, the new construction by its character and assemblage, can be assembled and disassembled, so it is “reversible”. The building, in the future, as a heritage element, can return to its original form of 1905, and the material used in its construction can be recycled.

Structural reuse of the two inner floors of the building, using them without any reinforcement (load capacity of 1,100kg/m2) to support on both floors the two new levels of housing. We convert two floors into four, to reach this we use a wooden structure, because it is 5 times lighter than a steel structure. The wooden frame structure is a translation of the old steel structures used as shelves for the storage of the threads.

Façade and roof of the building as a thermic buffer for the housing units. The new housing units are placed separated from the façade and the original roof of the building, with a new wooden façade. The in-between space is created to circulate the air; therefore, the housing units do not require the air conditioning the most part of the year.

The 45cm brick wall and the ceramic tile roof of the original building provide its thermal and shading properties to the new interior building, while maintaining its presence as an interior façade of the communal spaces. In this in-between space are the inner streets to access to the houses, identifying the old path of the thread packages through the crane bridge and the conveyor belts.

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In this home, the interior courtyard garden is treated like an extra room inside the home, a space to read, listen to music, or sit in the sun.

The floor plan is designed with family and community in mind, to encourage longer conversations, more intimate memories and closer relationships. With an emphasis on communal spaces, it is designed to foster relationships, within the family, with friends they have over, and with the community at large.

The design is led by the fundamental principle that simplicity enables idleness, and the time we spend idle makes for a healthier state of mind.

In addition to fostering connection with nature and idleness, the house is designed with passive design principles that support healthy living. Use of natural materials and building techniques teamed with maximum light and ventilation, result in a home with no VOC emissions. Careful consideration of wiring throughout minimises electromagnetic fields, while a comprehensive water filtration system provides filtered water not only for drinking but for bathing and washing clothes.

This home leaves its inhabitants healthier from spending time here.

Ruxton Rise Residence is a design that isn’t over-scaled or showy, but instead focuses on the private, unpretentious and sustainable. This house shows how much you can achieve on a small site, without compromising space or creating a sense of over development.

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Boersch tells the story of water. The river, which historically allowed connection to the world and tells about the true cleanliness of a place. It is a dynamic element in the landscape, running to the ocean. We enlarge the riverbed and build a large open space amphitheater to access the water.

Leonardsau tells the story of the land. After a long green tunnel, two large corten steel plates amplify the opening effect at the end of the forest corridor to the open landscape, embodying a gate and opening a perspective towards Mont St-Odile, which develops the idea of discovery.

Ottrott tells the story of travel. Former train station, the stop materializes the history of the railway and highlight the presence of the heritage (balance, bridge, crane, pump…). In a fabric of housing buildings, the reservoir, symbolizing water, and concrete crossings connect housing to historical elements and landscape.

Saint-Nabor tells the story of luck. Closed for years and ongoing a “renaturalisation” process, the quarries symbolize the reconquest of the vegetation on a former industrial site. On one of the highest platform created by the machine, will the traveler discover the most spectacular work: a promontory in corten steel offering a wide view on the valley of Rosheim and the plain of Alsace. From this viewpoint inspired by a four-leaf clover, the visitor will feel lucky to enjoy the view of such a beautiful territory.

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Organised on two levels adapting to the terrain, the plan is compact, providing generous social spaces within a limited floor area. The upper level is comprised of smaller scale bedrooms and family rooms, whereas the lower level is a large gallery-like space structured around a stone hearth.

Completed in linseed oil painted pine with untreated birch skirting, frames and reveals – the interior is kept subtle with a character of being hand-built – promoting tactile qualities and the attractive patina developed over time.

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For our programmatic setup, this architectural structure and the character of the spaces were the leading principles. We consider the building’s imperfections, resulting from various modifications over several centuries and from neglect in recent decades, to be its great strength. Our restoration strives to preserve the traces of its long and tumultuous history. We avoided reconstructing its original state: later renovations, additions, and traces of decay remain visible both outside and in. In our view, the building’s distinct features and its scars are an integral part of it and are as attractive as they are disturbing.

The rooms on the ground floor include the entrance hall, the café, and restaurant. The courtyard serves as a terrace and a multipurpose ‘outdoor room’. With its various entrances, openings, and public functions’, the ground floor opens the building to the city. The premises of the former monastic library are located on the first floor in the inner ring. These rooms, with their beautiful vaulted ceilings, their dignified proportions, and their soft light, are ideally suited for use as a classic study library. The spaces around it in the outer ring serve as office spaces and classrooms that are both multifunctional and interchangeable. In contrast to the other rooms of the monastery, the impressive attic is free of religious meaning and history.

With its monumental wooden structure, the attic is a room full of stories and associations, and in our view the ideal place for a general library for children and adults. For additional natural light and better views of the city, we added several dormer windows and skylights. We are aware that the role of printed media, books, and other sources of information will be different in the future.

However, we believe that libraries, as public living rooms and collective working environments, can continue to play a vital role in the public life of our cities. The building owes its charm to the timeless power of the former monastery. Due to its impressive interior, the new library has the potential to become an important social venue in Mechelen and a lasting attraction. In the years to come, the Predikherenkloooster will become, as the mayor put it, “a literary wellness centre”.

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A concrete slab supported by four columns covers this set and produces different ambiences from the ceiling heights of each use. This slab was made from precast panel forms poured in place and its regular shape – a 14.00 X 10.40 m rectangle – does not match the perimeters of the other blocks generating open covered areas, balconies and internal gardens. The master bedroom is then conformed above the other two bedrooms as a mezzanine to the living room and can be enclosed by a sliding curtain. The slabs of the three masonry volumes are roof gardens that are at times inside others times outside of the enclosed perimeters of the house. This enclosure is made of light glass panels free from frames. The main roof is also a roof garden completely free from infrastructures such as water tanks and solar panels, which are then located at the rear of the plot taking advantage of its sloped section. The owners are a couple of university professors and a newborn baby girl.

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The day and night spaces are organized around 2 perpendicular axes. The first materializes on the old stone wall that braces the original enclosure. This is covered with concrete and becomes a structuring element that integrates the fireplace, the staircase and a seat facing the Rhone Valley. The device extends outside to delimit the garden and the terrace to the south-west. Perpendicularly, the second axis develops with a series of wardrobes built in the thickness of the old west facade where one can retire behind a set of sliding curtains. The living space is clear and bright. It follows the slope of the site to offer a generous floor height at the level of the living room. At the rear, the water features act as a filter against the nuisances of the road. Openings are kept to a minimum to limit direct views and guarantee natural ventilation. The materiality is simple, raw and rational. A sanded screed coating unifies all the interior spaces. Outside, the concrete has been sandblasted to better dialogue with the texture of the roughcast and the existing stone. The perimeter of the windows is left smooth to highlight the openings and facilitate the evacuation of water away from the oak joinery. The whole is crowned by a folding of copper tinwork which highlights the mineral matter below and the heterogeneous shape of this new volume. the concrete was sandblasted to better dialogue with the texture of the roughcast and the existing stone. The perimeter of the windows is left smooth to highlight the openings and facilitate the evacuation of water away from the oak joinery. The whole is crowned by a folding of copper tinwork which highlights the mineral matter below and the heterogeneous shape of this new volume. the concrete was sandblasted to better dialogue with the texture of the roughcast and the existing stone. The perimeter of the windows is left smooth to highlight the openings and facilitate the evacuation of water away from the oak joinery. The whole is crowned by a folding of copper tinwork which highlights the mineral matter below and the heterogeneous shape of this new volume.

Text provided by the architect.