Felix Residential Building, The five-story residential building restores an urban block within the dense fabric of Koekelberg, a mixed quarter in Brussels. On a plot formerly occupied by a derelict industrial shed, its distinctive brick architecture is reminiscent of the many interwar residential and industrial buildings in the vicinity.
© Pieter Rabijns
Large, rhythmically placed windows, a robust roofline, and a canopy marking the entrance add to a dynamic streetscape of generic façades typical of this neighborhood.
© Pieter Rabijns
Echoing the motifs and patterns of the neighboring buildings, a bespoke brick bond was developed for the northern street façade. Five bricks, stack-bonded to create a larger block, form a pattern that ‘hangs’ from a cornice of vertically bonded headers. Sandblasted concrete is used to construct the entrance canopy and the subtly recessed lintels that further refine the composition.
© Pieter Rabijns
Around a compact central staircase and lift core, four flats of varying sizes (studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom) are arranged per floor. The larger flats benefit from front-to-back living areas. A daylit circulation space connecting the flats forms a generous backdrop for social interaction.
© Pieter Rabijns
From the ground-floor main entrance, residents have access to a garden that serves as a communal place for rest, play, and social gathering. During summer, the garden’s dense planting creates a cool retreat in the middle of the densely built urban block.
© Pieter Rabijns
To further mitigate the urban heat island effect, the southern rear façade follows different principles from the front. A reflective, light-colored render provides a backdrop for generous external balconies, vertically stacked to provide sun protection and a level of privacy between the flats. A structure of balusters and vertical steel posts
Project Info
Architects: Studio Jan Vermeulen
Country: Belgium, Koekelberg
Area: 2221 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Pieter Rabijns
Manufacturers Geberit, Unilin, Agrob Buchthal, SAPA building systems, Schwepa, VANDERSANDEN: Geberit
Lead Team: Jan Vermeulen
Design Team: Ricardo Ploemen, Laurens Bots
Engineering & Consulting > Structural: Atlas Engineering
Engineering & Consulting > Services: Ra-Co
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial