A new branch office for Bank J. Van Breda & Co near the city of Aalst. On a relatively small plot a 4 storey office building is being conceived.

Simplicity is the key in this design. The basement contains an auditorium that opens up to a terraced garden that provides the necessary light and air. The ground floor is accessible to the public and holds the main conference rooms for private meetings. On the first floor the open landscape office and internal meeting rooms are located. On the top level, a lounge and a kitchen space are situated, with an adjacent terrace.

The building is a solid bearing structure with white plaster rendered on a thick insulating shell. The glazed openings are cut out surfaces which link the different facades and levels. A seemingly simple solid white volume creates a clear and autonomous architectural object in a highly differentiated context.

Advanced and intelligent techniques are planned. A heat pump is combined with cooling and floor heating. The HVAC installation is part of integrated research by technical and structural engineers and our architects.