Mouton – Werkplek voor structureel ontwerp

Mouton's vision of the engineering profession is perfectly reflected in the design of their new workplace. Together with the architect Hilde Huyghe, they looked for an appropriate solution to create a coherent design. The building has a logical layout, creating attractive spaces to spend time in. Together with Studiebureau Mouton, Tomas Nollet and Hilde Huyghe are developing an architectural concept that utilises the existing warehouses to maximum effect. Where the previous owner used to print T-shirts and silver plate trophies, there is now a landscaped office with archive, conference rooms and a dining area around a central patio. The new architecture blends in nicely with the old brick walls and the industrial character of the place. The meeting rooms are dominated by huge tapestries specifically designed for Mouton by several textile design students at the KASK. This eliminates the need for expensive acoustic ceilings in the conference rooms. The façade is made up entirely of windows, facilitated by the fact that the wooden window frames serve as support columns for the roof. This way structural concepts become part of the architecture. The building is an advert for integral building processes, in which experts deploy their own specific expertise to safeguard the overall level of quality.

This project was opened on the occasion of the 2019 Day of Architecture. The text is based on a contribution by Lisbeth Decloedt.