Project Info
Project Name: De Watergroep Office Building
Architect: Evr-Architecten
Location: Ghent, Belgium
In the heart of Ghent, near St. Peter’s Station, Evr-Architecten has redefined what an office building can contribute to its urban surroundings. The De Watergroep offices—opened in 2023—are more than a workspace: they are a thoughtful response to density, ecology, and community, stitched seamlessly into the fabric of the city.
The brick façade anchors the building in Ghent’s historic streetscape, blending modern workplace needs with a timeless material palette
A Dialogue Between Brick, Green, and Light
Set along Koning Boudewijnstraat, this four-storey brick-clad office building paired with a meeting hub embraces its corner of Ghent with poise and purpose. The façade reads as both familiar and fresh: horizontal layers in the plinth and brickwork echo neighboring residences, while a central vertical green façade introduces a living counterpoint. Lowering the ground floor height creates new vistas into a courtyard, inviting the city to look in—not just into the building, but into the green heart of the project.
A glazed green patio opens the complex to daylight and community, softening its geometry while offering a shared garden retreat
Transparency and enclosure are balanced with finesse. A glazed corridor and patio link the street-facing office block to the garden volume: here meeting rooms, a café, sanitary spaces, and bike storage cluster, all overlooking green terraces and shared outdoor interiors. The glazed axis acts like a spine of light—drawing in daylight, framing sky and foliage, and making movement through the architecture part of the visitor’s experience.
From the street, rhythm and order define the façade, balancing solid brick with timber fins to create a dialogue between tradition and innovation
Ecology, Flexibility, and Urban Performance
Sustainability was not an afterthought. The building has achieved BREEAM Excellent, and its systems deliver far more than regulatory compliance. Green roofs, climbing plant façades, vegetated roofs over the parking areas, and even nesting boxes for local bird species make the building a biodiversity engine. Water use is dramatically reduced (rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse), and what was once a bleak, paved plot has become a verdant island in Ghent’s urban block.
Close-up brickwork reveals craftsmanship and texture, reinforcing the tactile quality at the heart of Evr-Architecten’s design
Internally, flexibility is key. The street-facing portion is divisible per floor, allowing for different office layouts; modular wall systems enable adaptation over time. Entrances for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles are consolidated in a covered corridor, offering a generous threshold and seamless transition from public realm to private workspace. The garden volume, set behind, turns inward in part—but not so much that the building loses civic presence. It remains embedded in the neighborhood, visible, accessible.
Close-up brickwork reveals craftsmanship and texture, reinforcing the tactile quality at the heart of Evr-Architecten’s design
Why This Matters
What makes the De Watergroep office complex remarkable is how it layers purpose: densification without crowding, enclosure without isolation, sustainability without spectacle. In a part of Ghent where new development can feel forced or disconnected, Evr-Architecten has instead built a building that feels rooted—physically, visually, socially.
Here, office spaces become more than places to work. They become places to belong—to connect with trees and sky, birds and rain—to experience a more humane city without giving up on efficiency or ambition.
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