Travel often gives us the distance we need to understand where we come from. In the course of projects, training courses and lectures delivered worldwide, and through their various publications, the A2M team have been able to see for themselves the international position and impact enjoyed by architecture from Belgium, and Brussels in particular. These conferences, discussions and meetings have the effect of successive Alice potions that allow us, from our smaller or larger perspectives, to rediscover our wonderland.
Although self-promotion is not a typical feature of our national culture, we can take pride in the know-how that characterises the Belgian construction industry! In recent years, particularly with initiatives such as Exemplary Buildings, the Belgian construction industry has taken the world by storm. Nothing beats seeing the awestruck French discovering that there is the inverse of interior insulation, the hanging mouths of the American delegations when they see how passive buildings work in the summer, or the stupefaction of the Chinese before a totally a-technological approach… And then you have the supreme consecration of busloads crossing the border from Germany to visit the famous “Belgian passive school”.
It has been fifteen years since A2M first set itself the goal of making the world more habitable by opting for contemporary architecture with a high environmental quality. Of all the design tools, the passive standard has proven most useful to make concrete, significant and pragmatic inroads in this direction. This initial choice of only working on sustainable projects ties in with the goal of following an ethical and aesthetic line, in keeping with the expectations of users and the urban realities in the field. This Belgian architectural landscape, which has undergone quite a transformation over the past few years, is now being exported abroad.
But while the trips, conferences and discussions have somehow magnified us and made us more aware of what is happening in Belgium, the experience of construction abroad has also made us feel small enough to appreciate what can be done elsewhere. This is perfectly illustrated by the project for the Belgian embassy in Kinshasa where, to stand by our convictions, we had no choice but to learn and innovate. Some more concrete examples of this experience are given below.
[1] Usable Daylight Illuminance is much more relevant than the commonly used Daylight Factor, it can determine the exact comfort times and zones.
[2] « Passive Architecture » – Strategies, experiences and exchanges of views in Belgium, FR/NL/EN, 405 pages, available via Brussels Environment and pmp asbl.