Case studies

Because wood manufacturing is an important aspect of the region’s economy, the building’s owner wanted to symbolise this by using wood in a highly technical manner. The building comprises a workshop, a series of cold storage areas, offices and laboratories. The dome-like structure utilises small double-layered 6 m long pieces of wood to form one continuous structural element (called a gridshell). Joined together with steel bolts, the wooden elements are covered in laminated glass tiles to provide a transparent cladding that covers the entire building. The visual presence of the structure against the surrounding landscape remains one of building’s greatest achievements.

Awards:

Finalist Trends 1994 Building of the Year, Belgium
1996 Euro-Belgian Architectural Awards