7even Tuinen

“The site lies within walking distance of the centre of Leuven,” explains architect John Eyers as he describes the design. “The first question that we asked ourselves was: how can we create a function that will reintegrate this spot within the city? How do you turn an old factory into a pleasant living environment? The public passage through the complex plays a crucial role in this, as does the decision not to allow car parking above ground, and instead to construct a series of green courtyards and gardens; hence the name: 7even Tuinen, or ‘7Even Gardens’.” The factory complex dates from 1875 and has been expanded many times over the years. A number of buildings have been demolished in order to create space for the gardens. These gardens are constructed around the three renovated buildings and a new-build block. “That gives the interior area a certain vivacity,” explains Eyers. For that reason, the project combines a mix of functions: offices, other business premises, and apartments, ranging in size from fifty to two-hundred square metres, with strikingly high ceilings and an abundance of daylight entering the properties.

Major challenge

The combination of renovation, new-build, and the construction of an underground car park made 7even Gardens a complex project. Hayen explains: “We had to deal with an inner-city location, whereby the logistics relating to the delivery and removal of construction materials are by no means self-evident. In addition, in the case of renovation work you always encounter unexpected hitches, and you need to come up with solutions on the spot as they arise. For instance, we wrestled with the levels of the buildings. Once these had been measured in order to link them up with the new-build element, it became clear that there was still a little too much play between them. The project has seen a great many changes along the way. The biggest challenge was to resolve problems and implement changes as well and as efficiently as possible and to stick to the original time schedule. We are proud of the fact that we were successful. This also resulted in a high visual quality: the apartments have a very high level of finish, and the façade is a success.” “And then there’s the gardens,” Eyers reminds us. “There is an English-style square with benches and an eatery, and we have created attractive steel café terraces. It is an area with a very diverse character- a world in itself. What people want today is to be able to spend time outdoors in a pleasant enclosed environment. They don’t want the feeling of being out in the busy streets. This design is about feeling at home in the city.”