Egied Van Broeckhoven School / B2Ai

Architects: B2Ai
Area: 11860 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Stijn Bollaert, Alheembouw Pictures, Matthias Vanhoutteghem
Lead Architects: B2Ai architects
Interior Design: B2Ai interior design
Landscape Architecture: Stefaan Thiers
Engineering & Consulting > Structural: VK Architects & Engineers
Engineering & Consulting > MEP: VK Architects & Engineers
Engineering & Consulting > Other: BAM FM
Project Management: Consortium ABC 02 (Invesis/Alheembouw), School Group – vzw Ignatius Scholen in Beweging
Client / Project Director: PREO
Client: vzw Ignatius Scholen in Beweging
General Contractor: Alheembouw
City: Brussels
Country: Belgium

Egied Van Broeckhoven School, a secondary school designed by B2Ai in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Brussels, has transformed the former Vandenheuvel brewery into a Dutch-language Jesuit institution focused on STEM, Community, and Well-being. Completed under the Flemish Government’s DBFM procedure, the project is the first of 40 school developments and will serve 860 students across academic, technical, and vocational tracks. Commissioned by Ignatius Scholen in Beweging, the scheme reconnects with the neighborhood through shared sports facilities, multilevel outdoor spaces, and a semi-subterranean sports hall. Preserved Art Deco facades were upgraded with insulation, aluminium joinery, and slender-profile windows, while a central patio enhances daylight in the deep-plan interior. The original bottling hall now houses flexible learning spaces beneath exposed concrete, with interiors combining pine wood and ochre-gray chequered flooring.

In the diverse neighborhood near the West Station in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, the Egied Van Broeckhoven School opened within the former bottling facility of the Vandenheuvel brewery. This new Jesuit secondary school is designed to be integrated into the local context and offers Dutch-language education with a curriculum focused on STEM, Community, and Well-being. When fully in use, the school will host 860 students enrolled in academic, technical, and vocational programs. Through a combination of adaptive reuse and new construction, B2Ai architects have fulfilled the school’s vision, which prioritizes environmental responsibility, advanced infrastructure, and strong ties to the surrounding community. The project was developed as part of the Flemish Government’s DBFM procedure and stands as the first of roughly 40 school buildings to reach completion and begin operation under this initiative.

A school rooted in community
The demand for Dutch-language education in Brussels remains high, prompting sustained investment from Flanders to expand educational capacity. In a densely built city like Brussels, where available space is limited and many school buildings are outdated, addressing this need presents an even greater challenge. The project was commissioned by the Ignatius Scholen in Beweging association, which selected the former Vandenheuvel brewery near the West Station in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek as the site. Following the closure of the brewery, a key economic force in the area disappeared. Its transformation into a new secondary school introduces a renewed social and functional purpose to both the site and its wider urban context.

A school integrated with its surroundings
The Egied Van Broeckhoven School was designed to be more than a standalone institution, aiming to avoid isolation by actively engaging with the surrounding community. The new sports hall is positioned adjacent to the existing structure, with its semi-underground placement allowing visibility from the street and encouraging interaction with passers-by. Due to spatial constraints on site, the design team adopted inventive solutions. The playground is arranged across multiple levels, including a large outdoor play area situated above the sports hall and separated by arches equipped with ball-catching nets. In addition, facilities such as the sports fields and gymnasium are made accessible to local sports clubs and community initiatives outside school hours.

Adaptive transformation of industrial heritage
The project prioritized the preservation of the site’s existing industrial character wherever possible. The original Art Deco facades were cleaned and insulated to comply with strict energy performance standards, while the external joinery was replaced with new aluminium frames. In keeping with the industrial identity, a vertical window configuration with slender profiles was selected, echoing the appearance of the original steel windows. A green-gray finish was applied to the facade to introduce a contemporary element. To enhance natural daylight within the deep-plan structure, a central patio was inserted into the existing grid of concrete beams and columns.

In assigning architectural programs, the design process took into account the distinct spatial qualities of the existing structures. The former bottling hall, characterized by its high ceilings and arched roof, now accommodates an open learning environment, workshops, and an auditorium. The interior maintains a strong sense of the building’s industrial identity, with the original concrete structure left exposed to create a direct visual connection between past and present. B2Ai’s interior design approach combines warm materials such as pine wood with playful elements, including ochre-gray chequered flooring, reinforcing the dialogue between the building’s heritage and its contemporary educational function.