Unity in diversity

Based on specific qualitative and functional wishes of the users, the municipality of Beek held an architectural competition for the design of the BMV. Many factors were taken into account, including energy consumption, acoustics, hygiene and the relationship scheme of the various users. ARCHITECTENZAAK won this competition with their concept in which they combined all factors into one modern design. Mark Feron, partner and architect at ARCHITECTENZAAK, says: “The building forms a new village center for Spaubeek, where young and old can go for care, education, sports and relaxation. To cleverly cluster these functions but still allow them to retain their own identity, we sought 'unity in diversity.'” The contemporary and seemingly random buildings leaning against each other are inspired by the typical streetscape of Limburg villages. Together, the buildings form a compact complex that allowed for surrounding space for greening, including a park-like flower garden that flows harmoniously into a play forest for elementary school children.

Unique facade shell for uniformity

To create unity, the façade cladding is constructed from a single material. A concrete masonry block with a mineral top layer was chosen, inspired by Kunrader stone, which ARCHITECTENZAAK and MBI developed especially for this project. Kunrader limestone is very characteristic of the region. The BMV is located in the Geleenbeekdal, on the slope of the Schimmert Plateau. Feron wanted to reflect the history of the region in the building and went in search of a high-quality, manufacturable and affordable alternative to the scarce Kunrader limestone. ‘MBI's range includes the long-format GeoStylistix facing brick, which we are very fond of,’ says Feron. ‘Could they perhaps make a variant of this brick, based on the material and colour of the Kunrader brick?’ Using various samples in its lab, MBI developed the right colour shade for the top layer of the GeoStylistix. This resulted in a unique colour: Limestone Yellow. To match the appearance of the historic Kunradersteen, the bricks are available in various subtle shades, from light to dark beige to white-yellow with grey and dark tones. The facing bricks are also available in various sizes. Recently, the first villa was built in this colour!