Upoffiz Upliving Ghent – Loop5 by Studio Basta

Upoffize|Upliving Loop5 , located on the periphery of Ghent, is a sustainable office complex of 42,000m² on a footprint of 10,000m². The office complex consists of 2 office buildings(Upoffiz), housing for young professionals (Upliving) , a bar (Bar Amelia) and an auditorium (The Plectrum) for organizing lectures and conferences.

From the first sketch, the project was approached hand in hand by both the architect and landscape architect. The buildings, in consultation between the client, architect and landscape architect were carefully planted to strengthen the relationship with the surrounding landscape. In this view, fantastic sightlines and a large permeability have been created, allowing us to enjoy the surrounding green and built-up landscape. Because of this implantation we do not get a confined feeling but an airy campus feeling where it is nice to be.

The 4 buildings are scattered on the plot. The office complex includes the necessary 500 parking spaces. For reasons of water management, we could only build -1 level underground parking. In order not to “pollute” the ground level with only the remaining cars and especially to connect the 4 buildings with each other, a second ground level was created at 4m height. Under this second ground level, the remaining cars and especially the 1200 bicycle parking spaces are provided. The bicycle racks are strategically and visibly planned and accessible from the street; while the cars hide relative to the street.

Via stair and elevator cores in the buildings or via outside stairs we reach the second ground level which is designed as 1 large roof garden where it is bustling with life!

In order to build a quality roof garden, a roof package of 1m was provided in consultation with the client, architect and engineers. This gave us the opportunity to provide large packages of roof garden substrates through which we can plant plants that will have the opportunity to grow into sustainable green structures and be in relation with the scale off the buildings and humans.

In addition to a large proportion of planting, an organic path structure was also provided and the roof garden was charged with a diverse program such as outdoor workplaces, seating wells, stages, bleachers, DJ table, ping pong tables, music, panna court, basketball goals, benches, trampolines and a large slide. This is to facilitate and encourage outdoor living and well-being of the people who work and live there.

The site is private but has a public character; passers-by, colleagues from the neighbourhood, external organizations are welcome there and the green environment brings a pleasant respite in the further urban context

• Project typology: Office garden – Roof garden

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:

Studio Basta (Landscape office) + Atelier Ruimtelijk Advies (technical office)

• All architecture offices involved in the design: Bontinck Architecture

• Other credits you need or wish to write:

Mission Upgrade Estate? (client) :

Although real estate is crucial to our business model, we regard our projects first and foremost as a means of achieving our ultimate goal: creating social impact and added societal value through an economically sustainable model. Real estate forms the backdrop – the setting where people connect, study, live, work and build a network for life.

Client: ©Upgrade Estate
Brand: ©Upliving ©Upoffiz
Photographer: ©Luc Roymans

• Location of the project
Ghent – Belgium

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