Areal Architecten

Thomas Cols and Chris Eeraerts graduated together from the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at KULeuven in 2001. After a joint project in Coimbra, Portugal, led by Professor architect Gonçalo Byrne, the present partners experience in various qualitative offices in Belgium and abroad, active in architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture. The complementary visions on building, living, working and architecture in general, have led to the constitution of Areal Architects in 2006. Today the innovative team consists of more than 10 architects who join forces to answer different architectural issues. In addition to private commissions in single housing, Areal Architects works mostly on large-scale project-assignments in the private sector, the public-private, and the public sector. Areal Architects also regularly takes part in competitions. Today Areal Architects is mainly active in three domains: healthcare, education and collective social and private housing.

More than just as answering the question, we see the design process as a challenge to define a broader vision. We are always aware of our role in a broader social context. We see the development of a vision as a necessary part of the process because at this stage, irrespective of any form, this vision will define the path that will eventually lead to a design. The relative autonomy of the vision allows to check the design in the further development, regardless of the adopted voluntary or mandatory choices.

Undoubtedly we are children of our time. We therefore do not deny that our designs originated from a clear view of what is happening and what is created around us. As an architect, we will enthusiastically and without prejudice let the built environment inspire us. Not only the built environment is an incentive, but also the social issues from the different art and cultural disciplines are an important feeding ground.

In addition, we also want to draw the most out of history. Not forgetting that every project is certainly put in his time, we want to be inspired by the timeless examples of both the more obvious places, as the well-known architectural projects. Fed by all these elements a thoughtful and sustainable vision of the design commission will be created that will be undeniably contemporary. The translation of that vision into design and later into an executable project, will be done in an intense collaboration with the client and all the actors of the process, the design offices, local authorities, the fire brigade.