Qville Ecological Co-Housing

Architects – B –architecten

Area – 5966 m sq .

Location - Qville, Hemelrijk, Essen

Belgium

 Located in an agricultural area of

Essen, Belgium, not far from the
natural reserve of Kalmthoutse
Heide and the city centre. 
•The former Quarantine stables, a listed
monument in a natural and farmland area
in Essen , were transformed into an
ecological co-housing project. The original
volumes of this historical site were
restored, disappeared buildings rebuilt.

•. the development comprises of total

13 buildings and forty-four dwellings
spread over an area of 1.7 hectares
of either brick or timber , each a net-
zero building.

• intergenerational dwellings and

shared common areas, the
development encourages
engagement among neighbors and
family. The units, which range in size
from one to four bedrooms, have a
private garden overlooking the
internal passages or the surrounding
fields . Rebuilt structure

N
•The common areas hold an indoor swimming pool
and a wellness area, a community center with flex
job working areas and a roofed terrace with a
swimming pond

•The inhabitants have access to car-sharing

locations and solar energy charging stations. Several
common bicycle sheds underline the traffic-free
nature of this site .

•The commercial part at the front side of the site

boasts a pub and B&B’s for tourists. At the
entrance, there is an exposition area with
information and more explanatory historical
details about the site.

•Each volume maintains its original architectural

elements: the brick or dark wood cladding and
the double-pitched roof typical of stables, in this
case renovated by the studio with the addition of
new shingles and skylight windows. Qville is
equipped with solar panels and a rainwater
recovery system.