TAART architecture collective
a collaboration between David Vrambout, Leander Decloedt & Emile Marlein
Baking & building
TAART architecture collective designs from an interplay between observing and dreaming, moving within a spectrum between baking and building. For TAART, both existing patterns / structures and the addition of new layers are tools to guide, explore, and feel out possibilities. With an attitude of listening to and reading a place, TAART uses spatial imagination to strive towards a warm architecture, through interventions that (re)create a sense of connection - both with the place itself and with each other.
Starting with an initial action where handwritten notes encouraged neighbors to bake cakes for one another, they have already set up several small-scale constructions and are involved in ongoing architectural projects.
Meesterproef 2022 Sociaal Wonen
For the renovation project at Generaal Lemanstraat 1-11, !Mpuls is collaborating with the architecture firm TAART architecture collective. This collaboration is the result of the Meesterproef program by Team Vlaams Bouwmeester, which gives young architects the opportunity to realize their innovative ideas.
Rather than opting for demolition and complete new construction we are undertaking a comprehensive renovation of the existing building, complemented by sustainable new construction.
This approach will create more spacious homes, give the building block a contemporary look, and establish a stronger connection with the green space in front of the project.
The street in front of the building will be transformed into a vibrant green zone designed to encourage social interaction and space appropriation, with space for summer barbecues, children’s play, and other communal activities. The private backyards of the homes will become a shared, semi-private garden, while the front area will be redesigned as a public garden space. To link these two green areas, one existing home in the middle of the block will be removed, creating an open passage between front and back.
At the southern end of the block - an area with significant foot traffic from the neighborhood - we will introduce a small community center, facing the adjacent park.
The renewed housing program will feature a mix of housing types, prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity. This enables concepts such as intergenerational living and co-housing to thrive. By retaining the existing building and adding a front extension, the current front façade will become an interior wall, allowing the original brickwork to remain visible within the new community center—honoring the building's history while shaping its future.
location:
Gen. Lemanstraat, Menen
client:
!Mpuls Menen-Wervik
engineering stab & tech:
BAST architects & engineers
landscape design:
Sebastiaan Willemen
EPB & VC:
Sebastian Hoornaert