Collegium Zottegem, Belgium

This neo-Gothic former building in Zottegem, south of Ghent, now offers 65 comfortable apartments and a succession of terraces with breathtaking views of the city. The combination of property development and urban redevelopment, the new buildings link previously neglected wasteland to the city centre’s busiest shopping street. The scheme by Studio Farris Architects has delivered a successful vision of what repurposing can achieve, not only for historic buildings, but also in terms of new build materials.

Collegium is more than simply a benchmark for low-carbon strategies; it is a genuine ecosystem in its own right, and within which every detail has its own importance. So rainwater is used here for cleaning purposes, and birds nest in spaces especially created for them in the old brick facades.

Technical Sheet

• Architect: Studio Farris Architects

• Developer: Vanhouts Projects