Oud-Heverlee - Community centre De Roosenberg

The study and design assignment for the renovation of community centre De Roosenberg in Oud-Heverlee was awarded to the temporary partnership WV Architects, Henley Halebrown Architects, with Atelier Damien Derouaux and RCR studiebureau as subcontractors.

The design team resolutely chose to adapt the existing building. Both the choice of materials and the proposed construction methods and the vision for energy supply and use are based on the client’s circular ambitions. Demolition of the current building is kept to a minimum and the designers propose a strategy in which orientation as well as sunlight penetration and sustainable use of materials limit energy and ventilation requirements.  

A deliberate incision at the level of the level difference between brasserie and auditorium makes the building integrally accessible and connects the main functions. A central staircase and lift are added. They connect the existing levels. These interventions lay the foundations for a new spatial logic, functional connections and a legible circulation.

The building is connected to the surrounding landscape by laying out the immediate surroundings as a park with an intuitive system. A distinction is made between direct and visible connections between the car park, the street and the building, and less direct paths that encourage the visitor or passer-by to explore or stay in the area.  

The designers conceptualise the library as a living room for the community with multiple perspectives on the natural environment. It will be a place of culture where people can learn, stay and meet.  

The main hall will be transformed into a multifunctional hall. The adjacent foyer on the south side will have a terrace overlooking the water. On top of the foyer, the multifunctional hall will open onto an outdoor room with a view of the ponds. The hall can be used in its entirety or partially, and thanks to the outdoor room, it will be ideal for more festive occasions. This addition is particularly appreciated by the client. It gives the building a new and inviting face and makes the programmatic interpretation of the Roosenberg future-oriented.

The municipality of Oud-Heverlee is looking for a design team to renovate the community centre De Roosenberg on the Zoet Water site. The renovated centre should accommodate a new library, a brasserie and an events hall with foyer.

Context

The municipality of Oud-Heverlee is a rural merged municipality surrounded by important nature areas such as Meerdaalwoud (forest), Heverleewoud (woods) and Dijlevallei (valley of the river Dijle). They define the identity and green character of the municipality. The place everyone feels connected to is the Zoet Water site, centrally located at the intersection between Heverleewoud and Meerdaalwoud. In recent decades, recreational functions such as a playground, catering establishments, sports facilities, youth facilities and a community centre developed here in a disjointed manner.

Given the enormous potential and importance, the municipality of Oud-Heverlee had a master plan drawn up for Zoet Water. This was done in close dialogue with the village community. The aim is to turn the site into a place that radiates and reinforces the peacefulness and grandeur of the surrounding forest. Clustering functions will create more space for nature and an attractive site where recreational, cultural and landscape experiences reinforce each other within a green, natural environment.

In addition to this, the partners of the Walden strategic project want to develop Zoet Water into a gateway for Heverleebos, Meerdaalwoud and Dijlevallei.

The community centre De Roosenberg, built thirty years ago as a performance hall with associated services and today also used as a library, is in a central location in that respect.

Assignment

The architectural assignment for the renovation of De Roosenberg is therefore the next important phase in the execution of the above master plan. The renovated hall must be fitted in within the outlines of this master plan and must fit in with the layout of the surroundings that is currently in progress. The master plan includes a ‘discussion plan’ for a renewed Roosenberg. This is included in the assignment as an initial, not necessarily guiding reflexion instrument. The municipal council’s comments on this discussion plan are also included.

The current building is in need of a thorough renovation. Building envelope and techniques are outdated or defective; the building no longer meets fire standards; some spaces, such as the library and cafeteria, are undersized or located in an illogical place; and the performance hall is not functional. The building therefore needs to be adapted in a sustainable way for future use.

It should be an open but warm meeting space where everyone feels welcome. The ambition is to integrate the building into the landscape in a good way, to connect it with the surroundings and the recreational greenery, and to open it to the ponds. An inviting entrance and a strong relation between indoor and outdoor spaces are central. In addition, the new community centre must have a well-considered logistical concept, in which the three main functions (library, brasserie, events hall) are strongly interlinked and yet retain their individuality. Thus, the components must be able to operate independently of each other; thought must be given to the various entrances, lockability, supply, but also to how the functions can reinforce each other and whether forms of double use are possible.

Essentially, three functions will be integrated: a brasserie / cafeteria with link to the ponds and playground, a low-threshold library that is easily accessible and preferably linked to the entrance / foyer / brasserie, and an events hall with foyer and private terrace.

The future library aims to be an accessible ‘third place’ where all citizens can go to relax, develop and spend time together. Modularity and optimal use of available space are paramount in its design.

The brasserie / cafeteria has a very open character. It connects to the north to the playground in the shelter of the park, to the west to outdoor terraces that form a playful link and transition to the green car park, and on the south side it also has a clear connection to the ponds. The spaces are delivered as shells: after all, their operation is separate from the community centre and the library. A well-considered and separate supply, a sufficiently spacious kitchen and storage area and private sanitary facilities are important.

The events hall mainly serves associations, schools, residents, etc. Schools can organze performances there, associations parties, young people a party. There is room here for a flea market, the reception for a large outdoor activity, study days, holiday camps …

As supporting facilities, public and private sanitary facilities, cloakrooms and vertical circulation should not be overlooked. An appropriate layout of the building’s surroundings is also very important. The outlines for this have been set out in the master plan. In this phase, they must be converted into a design that guarantees optimum accessibility and well-considered connection between the building and outdoor areas.

Execution of the assignment

For this assignment, the municipality of Oud-Heverlee is looking for an expert design team to research the building parts that may need to be preserved and the new extensions or replacements needed to create a future-oriented centre within the available budget. The municipality attaches great importance to sustainability and therefore expects expertise on sustainable and energy-efficient building, accessibility, acoustics and air conditioning. It also expects the designers to include room for a strong participatory process in the (early) design phase, in which the municipality, supported by the design team, enters into dialogue with the main stakeholders and users of the community centre. 

This is an all-inclusive study assignment that will be divided into phases because of the period (end of term of office). The intention is for the sketch design phase, including an information moment for the administration and residents, to be reached before the end of the current term of office, i.e. before the summer of 2024. The follow-up phases including any limited reworking of the sketch design will be followed up by a subsequent administration.

Included in the assignment and fee

• the architecture study
• the stability study
• the study of climate and all special techniques
• the complete study of the acoustics
• the study of the layout of the outdoor space and the greenery between the building and the layout of the surroundings already executed. This mainly concerns the elaboration of the master plan and its alignment with the renovated hall and the layout of the surroundings already executed.
• the study of the interior design, including the fixed furniture for the library and the events room
• the organization of the procedure for the appointment of the safety coordinator

Selection conditions

The candidate must be registered with the Order of Architects (or equivalent - see selection guide 2.1.1)

Project team

• 2 experts in architecture with at least 5 years’ experience as project managers on public projects

Reference projects

• At least 1 reference project shows the designer’s experience in integrating a project into a landscape context
• At least 1 reference project shows that the designer has experience with renovation and/or expansion
• At least 1 of the reference projects shows that the designer has experience with adaptable use of space

The following holds for these reference projects:

• Each reference explains what role the designer played in the submitted project.
• The references can be built projects as well as projects under construction or in the design phase.

Selection and awards criteria

See the selection guideline