- Location: Roeselare, Belgium
- Program: Educational
- Area: 35.000 m²
- Year: 2023
- Status: Competition
The current site of the VDAB is being transformed into a state-of-the-art educational campus, internally hosting the headquarters of Roeselare. The site is located in an industrial environment, right next to the highway, which brings challenges to the project. It is a pilot project for the transformation of urban fringe landscapes. The campus is conceived as a coherent whole that acts as a compass to its surroundings. The iconic head building gives emphasis to the site, while the lower volume with work halls relates to its industrial environment. The simplicity of the plan, in conjunction with the warm, expressive concrete facade panels, elevates the site to a higher level. The desire to be a landmark in its region is met. Concepts such as sustainability and circularity were always prioritized in the project. A GRO score of excellent was achieved. An extensive water management system with a basin, wadis, and ditches initiated the transformation of the campus into a green experiential campus. There was intensive collaboration with Natuurpunt to develop the terrain into a green stepping stone in its environment. Not only at the site level, but also internally, the project is logically structured. A logically positioned double-height entrance zone, combined with an adjoining central spine, ensures clear wayfinding. The project was tested at the highest level of integral accessibility A++. The spine, through its materialization, but also through its vistas and voids, was transformed into a qualitative experiential space. Overall, there was a search for an honest and contemporary image of what the VDAB is today: an innovative and accessible knowledge center.