Thomas More has positioned itself as a university college that is innovative and future-oriented, with a strong focus on technology and ecology. The campus in Geel reflects this vision, and the assignment for the new gateway building is a step towards creating a structure that embodies these core values: innovation, circularity, and future resilience.
LAVA architecten have long been engaged in circular construction, with experience in material reuse and disassembly. This approach has been successfully applied in previous projects and forms the foundation for the gateway building on the Thomas More campus. The project presents an opportunity to further explore and implement circular construction and is considered a pilot project within the Green Deal Circular Construction, in which Thomas More also participates.
For the design, LAVA draws inspiration from the artistic language of minimalist Sol LeWitt, using a simple base module that is repeated and adapted to create various spatial configurations. This systematic approach offers flexibility and allows the building to adapt to changing needs without losing its architectural identity. The spatial module of the building is seen as a kind of architectural grammar that can be applied repeatedly.
The structure of the building is designed with future resilience in mind. The foundations and structural elements are dimensioned to allow for expansions and changes in functionality. The construction uses dry connections, enabling the building to be easily dismantled at the end of its lifecycle.