Gatekeeper's house by helium3, Flawinne

Who would guess that this terrace in Flawinne is tiled with granite slabs salvaged from a public square in front of the European Commission’s Charlemagne building in Brussels?

What you see here is part of a renovation project by the Liège-based practice helium3 architecture, who were commissioned by telecom company Proximus to transform a former gatekeeper's house at a logistics site into a comfortable office for the staff. The building’s almost residential character contrasts with the hundreds of oversized cable drums stored all around it.

For the renovation, the vision of the architects at helium3 was to follow bioclimatic renovation principles and integrate reused materials. On-site reuse came first: old external window frames were converted into internal partitions, radiators were repurposed as guardrails, steps were reused in the new staircase, and doors as well as sanitary equipment were carefully dismantled and reinstalled. We at Rotor DC were also honoured to supply the granite slabs for the terrace, as well as reclaimed ‘Vetisol’ façade panels which were used as interior wall cladding. We also provided materials recovered from dead stocks, such as caramel-colored wall tiles and Bomarbre terrazzo floor tiles!

The granite terrace, combined with the sunshades and large windows, forms a passive heating system – allowing for maximal solar gains during winter, when the sun is low on the horizon.

Pictures: helium3
Architecture: helium3
Commissioner: Connectimmo (Proximus)
Stability: GESplan
Contractor: Agora