Martens Van Caimere Architects designed the extension and reorganisation of the ALVO supermarket (AMI) in Berlare. The entrances and exits of the existing shop were very outdated and had a problematic routing. By adding a wedge-shaped volume to the front and thus extending the building to the maximum building line, this shortcoming was addressed, and the neighbourhood supermarket was given a new and recognisable facade. The new intervention gave the entire shopping experience a clear and legible route, from arrival in the car park or at the bicycle shed to the checkout area and back home again. An integrated storage area for shopping trolleys and a covered entrance and exit zone increase the shopping comfort of visitors, while creating a semipublic meeting place. The entrance area will be car-free and the cash registers will be given a large area of glass, bringing light and visibility to the former 'black box'.

There was a deliberate focus on a low-tech approach to ecology and sustainability, in which the natural and tactile materialisation remained tangible both on the inside and outside. For this purpose we developed a unique and never before applied concept, namely a combination of a CLT structure (cross-layered laminated wood with FSC label) finished with lime hemp concrete (ground hemp stalks with lime & water, poured against the structure by means of a sliding formwork). Both materials are 100% natural and regrowthable, and by using them as building materials, we are helping to save CO2. At the same time, they give a particularly warm and welcoming atmosphere to the retail project.

Team:
Tom Haelvoet, Woema! cbva

Material Used:
1. Facade cladding: 
Wood, Cross-layer glued timber BBS, Binderholz
Steel, Corten steel, ThyssenKrupp

2. Doors: ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems
3. Windows: Aluminium, Aluminium Emotion, Gutmann