Renovation of a car garage in Gentinnes

The renovation of a car garage in Gentinnes, in Walloon Brabant, demonstrates how architecture can requalify a commercial and craft building while respecting the identity of the peri-urban Walloon context in which it sits. Designed by Belgian architecture firm STARC, the project builds on an existing ensemble of low, elongated volumes with a gently pitched roof and white lime-rendered facades, typical of roadside developments in this part of Wallonia.

The architectural approach aims to restore volumetric coherence to the ensemble while retaining the constructive logic of the existing horizontal massing. The facade rhythm, defined by the overhead doors and the glazed bays of the reception area, serves as the compositional framework for the renovation. The articulation between the publicly visible and accessible reception space and the workshops set further back responds to a clear functional hierarchy that the architecture expresses with restraint.

The sober materiality of the white render is maintained and enhanced through the introduction of more structured facade elements that affirm the building's identity without excess. The setback from the road creates a functional forecourt dedicated to vehicle access, a primary condition for the legibility of the programme. The proximity of a dense vegetation edge calls for a contained massing and a disciplined approach to glazing, preserving the dialogue between the renovated building and its immediate natural surroundings.

#architect #Gentinnes #WalloonBrabant #renovation #garageArchitecture #commercialArchitecture #residentialArchitecture #STARC