There is a moment on Rue Belliard when the copper blades catch the light and the building almost disappears into the street. Science 12, designed by A2M, began as a 1950s office building on a narrow 653 m² corner plot — with less than 1.8 m of sidewalk and little connection to the city. The transformation rethinks that relationship: a recessed base opens pedestrian space, a double-height plinth holds a horeca forum and office lobby, and nine office floors rise above in a 1.35 m structural rhythm.

The façade is where the project becomes unmistakable. Copper-colored aluminum blades, 50 cm deep, are parametrically arranged to admit daylight while limiting solar gain. Their bronze tone warms a district dominated by flat glass and grey stone. The building targets Passive House standards and BREEAM Excellent certification, with material reuse — including raised floor panels reclaimed from other office buildings — embedded in the design.

At ProVisual, we created the exterior visualisations for Science 12. Our work was to translate A2M's design into images that are architecturally true: the copper blade textures under real daylight, the 1.35 m grid, the depth of the double-height plinth, the parametric rhythm of the façade. For a project of this scale and technical detail, the visual has to hold up in coordination and approval settings — not just look convincing.

As A2M puts it: "It's not about decoration—it's about orientation, performance, and clarity."

This is one of those rare cases where the render and the built project match exactly — the copper blades, the structural rhythm, the depth of the plinth, the way light moves across the façade.

Credits:

Architecture: A2M
Photography: Maxime Vermeulen (source: A2M)
3D Visualisation: ProVisual
Collaboration: Julie Lambion, Crea-tec, DUSS
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Status: Built
Size: 5,556 m²
Certifications: BREEAM Excellent, Passive House