The current office layout is untenable.
The workshop was originally constructed using a series of concrete porticos with a 20-meter span and a free height of 4.5 meters—more than sufficient to accommodate the carpentry operations.
During a later renovation, a mezzanine office floor was inserted into the existing structure. This resulted in a conflict at the level of the porticos, reducing the free clearance to just 1.7 meters. Moreover, this structural compromise stifles the ambitions of the business owner and diminishes the building’s outward appearance.
Today, the request is to resolve not only this spatial conflict but also the general lack of space at the workstations. At the same time, the current showroom on Koningin Astridlaan must be integrated into the new program.
We propose a layered building with a gradient from public to private spaces, oriented perpendicular to the access easement. From the street, one can see through the front garden, the showroom, and the offices, all the way to the back of the workshop.
The proposal aims to retain as much of the existing portico structure and outer walls as possible, and to expand the workshop volume with a wedge-shaped extension. The showroom is placed on the ground floor, the office spaces are lifted above, and the workshop-supporting functions are compactly integrated within the workshop itself.
The current mezzanine is replaced by a lighter, slimmer modern floor slab positioned at a height of 2.45 meters. This allows for a clearance height of 2.1 meters beneath the heavy concrete portico. The new floor structure occupies just one bay of 4.65 meters and follows a fine column grid with a 2.00-meter spacing.
Using the same rhythm—but aligned with the building line—the wedge-shaped extension is constructed. As it is free from the constraints of the heavy porticos, the new floor level is set at 3.15 meters. Two small staircases bridge the difference in levels. Between the two plateaus, a spacious void is created. A large skylight high above the void brings deep natural light into the showroom, which will also indirectly illuminate the offices.
A sweeping staircase takes visitors from the showroom to the meeting room, from where they can enjoy an overview of the workshop’s operations.
The transparent character of the building allows it to communicate with its surroundings—unlike the “mute and blind” boxes that typify most industrial estates.