The master plan for this site translated the institution’s innovative approach into an architectural vision. A characteristic feature is the concept of progressing along a path: every young (juvenile) person is first assigned to a closed population, advances during a reorientation period to a semi-open population and finally to a phase of ‘living independently under supervision’ pending reintegration in society. All of these steps along the path occur in different buildings. The buildings have been embedded along a narrow street that runs through the campus to symbolise the ‘straight and narrow’, or a law-abiding route through life.
After construction of the first passive school in Flanders and the passive sports hall, the renovation of this landmark barn-like structure is the third phase in carrying out the master plan. The barn retains its spatiality thanks to application of the box-in-a-box principle. This project is a sustainable project, with the application of the energetic concept ‘Passive House’ and use of ecologic materials.
