Passive renovation of an industrial hall in Oudenaarde Client Dirk Van Dorpe
www.dvd-metaal.be
Architect Dirk Barte & Bernard Libert www.baert-libert.be
Stability Rik Van Rossen Service engineer @home energiezuinig bouwen Ventilation Klimacomfort Cellulose Liparos Windows Luc Martens bvba Roof Roofingwerken Himbrecht Eric
General Layout
Insulation, insulation, insulation When his workshop, located in an industrial hall that was too small for his needs, the owner was moved, and was questioned at length on the conversion of the premises. Although it was unlikely that the site would receive a new operating license, it was unthinkable to sell it to another industry. To make the industrial hall liveable in order to sell it to private individuals, the lack of comfort and the size of the premises initially appeared to be insurmountable disadvantages. Although ... The tradition of lofts shows how industrial settings can be transformed into amazing living spaces. The owner then discovered the advantages of passive construction techniques. Developing increasing interest in the subject, he took the gamble to keep the building and convert it to accommodate his own family. The renovation was entrusted with architects Dirk Baert and Bernard Libert, representing their first passive design project. They were well prepared for such a task through their extensive experience in low energy buildings. The architects and the client did, however, need a lengthy study period to master the implications of the project. The industrial structure presented a number of
Ground floor
drawbacks: catastrophic compactness in terms of energy efficiency, not a great deal of light, no views, no comfort. Paradoxically, however, it offered the advantage of a large area free of walls and enabled a great deal of flexibility for planning. The spatial design of the project positions enabled wonderful positioning for orientation and views, while developing a fluid, open central space. Large bay windows were installed to light up the living areas, while narrower windows were put in the bedrooms. The whole thing is distributed as a single storey space, with light penetrating right into the heart of the space through a patio carved into the middle of the building. In terms of energy design, the architects wanted to create a box within a box. The existing building was used primarily for weather-sealing, with the addition of an insulated interior wall. This ingenious system and the arrangement of the premises enabled the building to be renovated without making any large-scale structural interventions. All the new partitioning could therefore be achieved without thermal bridges. This would not have been possible in a building with several storeys and many walls, for example. To achieve this protective inner insulation, the architects used the special features of a wide rangeâ–ş renovation
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