Vens Vanbelle create colourful office in Belgium

(Image credit: press)

Colour and pattern dominate the uplifting architecture in this new workspace design in the sleepy Flemish city of Deinze. Created by Belgian architecture studio Vens Vanbelle, the colourful office project, developed for coaching experts Heydays, was designed to ‘stand out from the crowd', following the dynamic company’s motto.

Part of a busy road overlooking the local river, the Leie, the plot featured an existing building, which the architects reimagined creatively as an abstract, boxy volume clad in a black and white checkered pattern. More akin to a piece of sculpture or graphic art than a conventional workspace, the building is eye-catching and fun, conveying its residents' ethos. ‘The new building volume also forms a buffer between the busy street side and the nature at the rear,' the architects explain.

bright yellow interior at Heyday office in Belgium

Stepping inside reinforces the initial impression, revealing a fittingly colourful interior. A long reception area in bright white and yellow tiles in zig-zag shapes immediately offers a splash of colour. ‘This space is the heart of the building,' the architects continue. ‘Here the users interact and meet, and there is the opportunity to soak up different atmospheres of the plot and the building.’

From there, meeting rooms, desk space, communal areas, and individual consultation rooms for client coaching sessions unfold, both on this floor and a further two levels above. A calming, minimalist white staircase connects all floors. The interior feels warm and homely throughout, with vibrant hues balanced by subtler tones, natural materials and soft furnishings to create a welcoming space. The design features red carpet and birch wood trim on the walls and ceiling, as well as large openings that frame the river views. A roof terrace allows more connections with the outdoors for employees and visitors.

‘For many people, a workplace is a place where they spend more time than they do in their own home, so the pleasant and homely character is extremely important,' conclude the design team. This new colourful office achieves this sense of warmth with aplomb, while at the same time creating a striking landmark for the city.

Heyday office in Belgium as seen from street

views towards the water from the Heyday office in Belgium

bright yellow tiles at Heyday office in Belgium

checkered front at Heyday office in Belgium

office interior at Heyday office in Belgium

INFORMATION

vensvanbelle.be

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).