Thuiswest / Lieven Dejaeghere

Classrooms become circular living units

Colorful mosaic bricks, a garden as a playground and stately entrance gates: anyone who visits the site of the Heilig Hart School in Izegem will recognize the former boys' school in an instant. After it became vacant in 2007, the Izegem Construction Company - now Thuiswest - transformed it into 22 social housing units. Today a mix of seniors, young families and singles live there.

Smart transformation of classrooms
Architect Lieven Dejaeghere turned each classroom into a residential unit of 70 m2. He kept the original exterior walls and gave the interior walls an extra layer of insulation. There were also 5 spacious family homes attached to the west wing of the school. Like the units, these were equipped with a collective heating system. Various materials were also recovered. For example, residents put their bicycles under the shelter of the former playground. Water basins in the green courtyard also collect excess water and allow it to seep into the ground in a delayed manner.

Circular construction as an asset
The biggest advantage of the repurposing? It is the most circular construction method: the CO2 impact remains limited and contractors do not have to tap new raw materials. That often makes repurposing more sustainable than new construction. And the heritage value of the former school building was preserved.