KAU - Ura

About

URA is located in Brussels and is characterized by a broad spectrum of projects, varied both in scale and function. 'UR'-the name of the first city- supports a way of working. URA searches for universal, basic typologies and transforms them into a contemporary and precise identity in a specific context. The universal lies within the very specific. URA is led by two partners, Yves Malysse and Kiki Verbeeck.

YVES MALYSSE (°1973) yves.malysse@ura.be

Studied Architecture at Sint-Lucas, Ghent (BE). Worked for Robert Winkel, MVRDV, Bart Clement and Jo Crepain. Visiting Professor at TU Delft (2006-2007) and Academie voor Bouwkunst Rotterdam (2008-2009). Since 2002 he is Jury Member for several Architecture Schools and Institutions in Belgium and abroad.

KIKI VERBEECK (°1974) kiki.verbeeck@ura.be

Studied Architecture at Sint-Lucas Ghent (BE) and Architectural Sciences at KU Leuven (BE). Worked for uapS, OMA, LABFAC, Bernard & Georges Baines and Advisers. Visiting Professor at Sint-Lucas Ghent (2006) and currently teaching at KU Leuven (2010-...). Since 2005 she is Jury Member for several Architecture Schools and Institutions in Belgium and abroad.

COLLABORATORS

Benny Geerinckx (°1975) benny.geerinckx@ura.be
Michiel van der Loos (°1986) michiel.vanderloos@ura.be
Bram Van Sever (°1991) bram.vansever@ura.be
Carmen Vandermolen (°1992) carmen.vandermolen@ura.be
Egon Pollers (°1994) egon.pollers@ura.be
Lisa De Keuleneire (°1995) lisa.dekeuleneire@ura.be
Soetkin Devolder (°1995) soetkin.devolder@ura.be
Jonathan Vanhove (°1993) jonathan.vanhove@ura.be
Vincent Vergote (°1994) vincent.vergote@ura.be
Milène Senden (°1996) milene.senden@ura.be
Tuomas Peippo (°1995) tuomas.peippo@ura.be
Eva Vermeulen (°1997) eva.vermeulen@ura.be
Louis Lories (°1995) louis.lories@ura.be

FORMER COLLABORATORS

Pauline Truyens / Heleen Eskens / Mathieu Jeukens / Sindri Sigurðsson / Jasper Aerts / Eva Lo / Ruth Van de steene / Ana Horvat / Tim Belaen / Maarten Lambrechts / Charlotte Biesbrouck / Felice Van Tieghem / Marius Vaneeckhoutte / Pauline Durand / Florence Mareen / Lisa Van Com / Jonathan Robert Maj / Isaura Doumen / Jeroen Kessels / Diane Engels / Anton Parys / Harold Vermeiren / Wim Dirickx / Alexander Smedts / Adeline de Vrij / Kaat Volckaert / Pieter Burssens / Tom Broes / Garin Boghossian / Jan de Moffarts / Elena Dragu / Dora Freier / Sila Giriftinoglu / Carlota Marchena Lopez / Frederic Karam / Laura Navarro / Pablo Olmeda Puertas / Angel Pérez Rojas / Olivier Roegiest / Sara Rondou / Giulia Scirocchi / Lorenzo Stroobant / Toon Vanobbergen / Gaspard Van Parys / Francis Vanden Baviere / Mira de Middeleer / Sofie Lieben / Sofie Liesenborghs / Andrea Neri / Alessandro Luraschi

Text

KAU
Gymnasium
GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap
Uccle (B), 2007 – 2013
500m²

The surrounding forest is the starting point to design a simple volumetry which contains all confrontations of the site : open vs. closed, trees vs. slope, materiality vs. transparency, building vs. environment. The gymnasium is dug into the natural slope. The facade shows the duality of the context : a strong, closed concrete wall on the one side and a wooden structure with a black steel plates cladded facade on the other side. These two facades meet in the perspective of the stage-stair. The surrounding trees are seen from different perspectives. “Going to the gym” confronts the pupils (again) with the basic elements of nature.

In collaboration with Util and D’Hondt
Photos by Filip Dujardin