Nursery of the EU Council

Yvan Glavie

Transformation of an office building into a nursery

• Architects

Creation of a nursery, to be used by the staff of the Council of the European Union. It includes 14 units with a capacity of 190 children in an existing office and a residential/commercial building. Color was used on the exterior balconies to create a playfulness which contrasts with the darker surroundings of the neighborhood. The interior is very child centered and a place where children can learn and grow.

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Yvan Glavie

Architects

B2Ai architects

Contractors

STRABAG Belgium nv

Location: Brussels, Belgium
Project Year: 2006
Category: Nurseries
Stories By: B2Ai architects
STRABAG Belgium nv

EU day care center Brussels

• Contractors

Due to a lack of childcare facilities in Brussels, the Council of the European Union, which gathers the ministers of the various EU countries in Brussels, decided to set up its own facilities. To that purpose, STRABAG Belgium invested in renovating and re-designing the building on the Leuvensesteenweg in Schaarbeek. The child care center can accomodate up to 180 children of EU officials. In 2004 STRABAG took the initiative of buying the land and the existing buildings on the Leuvensesteenweg in co-operation with the estate agent Knight Frank and the SOPEDI Real Estate Financial Products company, who vouched for the financial and legal processing of the project. STRABAG subsequently did the research on redesigning the buildings into a new child care center. After partial demolition and structural renovation of the two existing buildings, the day nursery now fulfils the most stringent standards as regards safety and comfort. Particular attention was paid to safety. That is why doors with glass windows have been installed in all the units so that visibility on both sides of the doors is guaranteed at all times. The falling aspect was also afforded attention: the flooring consists of a flexible material lying on a foundation layer of cork, which absorbs impact. Finally, adjusted children’s-length banisters give an extra safe feeling when climbing the stairs.

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© Guy Obijn

Brand description

Industry leaders you can rely on The German construction group STRABAG first came to Belgium in 1965. Since then, STRABAG Belgium has grown to become one of the leading construction companies in Belgium. Its project portfolio spans various domains of construction: industrial and commercial construction, civil engineering, residential construction, renovation and restoration and environmental projects. A class 8 general contractor, STRABAG Belgium draws upon nearly 50 years of experience in the construction industry. It is thanks to our (around 400) skilled and enthusiastic employees that we currently have a yearly turnover of over 200 million euro. This makes STRABAG a respected name in the top 10 of general constructors in Belgium. STRABAG is synonymous with quality and reliability: its integrated management system is ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and VCA** certified. Local and international STRABAG Belgium is a 100% subsidiary of the German Ed. Züblin AG (based in Stuttgart) and is part of the European construction group STRABAG SE. The international knowledge and experience of STRABAG/Züblin combined with its local representation makes it possible to realise even the most complex projects. Our motto is: ‘Think global, act local’. The decentralised strategy followed by STRABAG Belgium ensures that our approach stays ‘close to the client’ and that we are able to build long-lasting relationships with subcontractors, clients and partners. This time-efficient and cost-effective way of working has given rise to an ever-expanding network of loyal and satisfied customers. Clients from the public sector (UZ Gent, AG Vespa, Aquafin, ...) as well as from the private sector (Coca Cola, Procter & Gamble, McArthurGlen, ...) keep coming back to our organisation year after year. STRABAG Belgium’s international basis facilitates stable production and technically advanced and innovative solutions while affording us a strong financial standing. Sustainable and responsible Over the past decade, the function of the general building contractor has shifted to that of a client-focused service provider. A strong financial background, sustainable policy, a strong staff policy, innovative construction techniques and technical expertise are the greatest assets of STRABAG Belgium. We have developed a great deal of experience with partnership arrangements such as Public-Private Partnerships and Design & Build projects. Our STRABAG Teamconcept formula, for instance, is specifically developed to realize cost and time saving optimizations for all project partners. Our portfolio reflects the structure of society, with the result that we have broad-ranging experience in the construction of schools, hospitals, residential care centres, offices, industrial sites and designer outlets