— Project intent
A precise answer to the site and programme.
In Ottignies, in the Walloon Brabant province of Belgium, architecture firm STARC led the transformation of a former café into a mixed-use building comprising two upper-floor apartments and a ground-floor commercial unit, responding directly to the city's urban densification strategy near the railway station. The project delivers two two-bedroom dwellings suited to couples or young families, while reinstating a commercial use at street level to support the vitality of the neighbourhood.
The architectural approach prioritises the preservation of the existing building, particularly the street façade, whose window openings, dormer and cornice height are retained or realigned to integrate seamlessly into the established roofline. Interventions are concentrated at the rear: partial removal of the annexe volume to open up the lane and introduce a lightweight metal external staircase, and the addition of a contemporary flat-roofed dormer at the second floor, providing full ceiling height, a balcony and generous natural light to the living area. The vertical rhythm of the new fenestration, combined with these elements, brings contemporary coherence to the rear elevation without disrupting the surrounding context.
The material palette centres on a light-toned render unifying the entire building envelope, an anthracite artificial slate roof covering, anthracite PVC window frames and a blue stone plinth along the lane. A comprehensive re-insulation of the building shell, with careful thermal bridge management along the lane façades, ensures lasting energy performance and occupant comfort. A seven-place indoor bicycle storage facility encourages sustainable mobility in this well-connected district of Wallonia.
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