Ceci n'est pas une... administrative centre!

The luxury of space and light, on the right scale for Oostkamp

Oostkamp is an ambitious borough with 22,000 inhabitants, south of Bruges. As part of the optimisation of service provision and the modernisation of the local authority organisation, the borough's various departments, now housed in various locations, will be concentrated on a single site. The local authority has purchased a large and strategically located site of 42,000 sq. m. for this purpose. It is along Siemenslaan 1 (the southern part of an access road around the centre of Oostkamp) and was until recently a regional distribution centre for a drinks multinational. The site will be occupied by an industrial shed (9000 sq. m.) with two administrative sections (one part, with a floor area of 2400 sq. m., integrated into the main volume, and a small, more prestigious front building of 1200 sq. m.), large metalled areas and also a piece of undeveloped land (10,000 sq. m.) that is completely enclosed by a very spacious street block.

The brief consists of four main parts:

1) An integrated administrative and welfare centre

2) Sufficient space for the technical services, with a main stockroom, and storage and workspaces for equipment and goods.

3) A multipurpose hall, mainly for socio-cultural activities

4) A youth club

This is a clear statement of the complex assignment: multiple requests for public functions as against an abundance of industrial spaces and 'hard' surroundings, but there are boundless possibilities. For the building itself the aim should be a stylish, warm but simple and somewhat timeless approach with particular attention to accessibility. Equal quality for visitors and employees is the standard. So an affinity with interior architecture, durability and custom work is absolutely essential.