Along one of the main arteries in the north of the Brussels-Capital Region, an abandoned office building has been transformed into a dynamic place to live. Once known as BRU2000, it now carries the name Le Jules—a robust reconversion in a district long defined by large-scale, monofunctional office structures. Strategically located on Jules Bordetlaan, near the ring road and the airport, its true impact lies in the shift it represents: from vacancy to vitality, from a closed block to an open urban fabric.
A new balance between living and working, public and private space. And above all: a circular, ecological attitude—not as a finishing touch, but as a foundation.
At Le Jules, architecture and landscape enter into dialogue. Terraces extend living spaces, green roofs become shared gardens, and hard surfaces give way to communal use. The canopy above the parking area is designed as a hanging garden: a collective outdoor space that adds meaning to urban living. The boundary between inside and outside is redefined, just like the line between private and shared experience.
The existing concrete structure was preserved and now forms the backbone of the new development. No tabula rasa, but precise, strategic reuse. The original façade was dismantled; what could be reused was reintegrated. A new façade was built with an eye toward durability and adaptability.
An extension of two additional floors increases residential surface without taking up more ground. The result is a quieter, more consistent volume that visually aligns with its surroundings. Balconies and balustrades—an interplay of steel frames and concrete slabs—offer a contemporary answer to the need for outdoor space, with a subtle reference to Art Nouveau.
Le Jules is more than a formal makeover; it rethinks how we treat space and resources. Rainwater harvesting, a heat pump and solar panels are integrated—not as trophies, but as minimum standards.
What matters is the approach: a circular process focused on reuse, material awareness and added value. Reclaimed stone, recycled panels, biobased materials—each design choice asks what can remain, what can return, what can contribute.
Le Jules is no iconic object. It is a working blueprint for urban reconversion—a future-ready building without starting from scratch.
