Located in Noville-les-Bois, the new Maison Rurale for Fernelmont is designed as a civic anchor that weaves together the surroundings natural and built elements. Rather than an isolated object, the building is positioned to create a new centrality. By aligning with the existing sports hall and anticipating future extensions, the project defines a public square. The architecture is defined by the interplay of three distinct elements: the main hall, a greenhouse, and a service volume.

The main hall, with a recognizable silhouette reminiscent to a barn, is designed for maximum flexibility, serving as a robust vessel for the community's diverse needs. A system of movable walls allow the space to be divided and united depending on the current needs. Attached to this primary volume is a recycled lightweight greenhouse, repurposed as a translucent foyer and circulation space. Its role is as much functional as it is spatial: by housing the main circulation outside the primary building volume, the greenhouse allows the main hall to be easily divided into independent sections while still enabling connection between various community groups to use different parts of the space simultaneously and adaptively. The third element, a freeform Amoeba, acts as a serving space and keeps the greenhouse and main hall free of fixed structures.

The choice of materials, such as recycled greenhouse structures and prefabricated hempcrete for the facades ground the building in its rural context while ensuring high environmental performance and a tactile, honest materiality. Maison Rurale provides a "capable volume" for the community - a resilient support for local markets, festive gatherings, and daily social life. It is a project that values the specificities of its surroundings, offering a functional yet sensitive heart for Fernelmont’s collective future.

Location: Fernelmont, BE | Program: Multifunctional hall | Year: 2024 | Client: Town of Fernelmont | Status: Competition proposal | Task: design | Budget: €1.800.000 | Size: 1148m² | Collaboration: Fallow + Laura Villeret | Landscape: Johanna Bendlin | Structure: Cambium | Climate: Détang | EPB: Brouae | People: Matthias Salaets, Michaël Stas, Carmen Van Maerke, Eva Pnevmatikou | Photographs: Fallow