ILVO – the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food – researches how to produce
food in a socially responsible manner and within the planetary boundaries. The institute thereby disposes
of an extensive territory of approximately 200 ha, embedded in the idyllic Rodeland landscape.
ILVO aims to thoroughly rethink its territories and way of operating by establishing a
state-of-the-art campus, in which the infrastructure subscribes to the ambitions of
climate neutrality and more sustainable environments.
The main question
is how to guard the specific identity of the site, which is read as a fragile
balance between built and non-built. The soil itself is employed as
crucial foundation for the development. Through an interplay of topography,
soil and water, coupled with specific (existing and possible) uses of the land,
a clear design alphabet takes shape. In between the meshes of the existing net
nestle the various program components, resulting in a patchwork of typologies
with various functions and scales.
The culture of open
discussion was carried through to the design process. In several participation
moments with employees and external stakeholders, proposals were checked and
tested. Scheduling these early in the design process confirms the importance of
this input.
Location: Merelbeke
Procedure: competition
Client: ILVO