Hooghuys

Client: City Site II / Bouwbedrijf Van Poppel
Location: Drabstraat 10, 2800 Mechelen
Realization: 2007 – 2013
Design team: David Driesen, Tom Verschueren, Valérie Lonnoy
Structural engineer: ASB
Photography: Frederik Vercruysse & Bart Gosselin
Size: 998 m²


dmvA’s office houses in a former warehouse, called Hooghuys. It’s an Unesco listed monument and one of the oldest buildings of Mechelen. Hooghuys is part of a site, Lorette Convent, that was converted into offices, dwellings and apartments in 2014. dmvA was responsible for the urban planning of this part of the city and restored Hooghuys and developed the apartments Drabstraat. dmvA bought the Hooghuys together with the lawyer office Mahla. Mahla’s office is located at the ground and first floor and the office of dmvA is nowadays situated in the attic of Hooghuys.

The approach for the restoration of the Hooghuys was based on two elements: respect and the dialogue between old & new. First step in the restoration process was to demolish the different partition walls of the former maiden-rooms to create one open landscape office. Secondly, the timber roof construction was repaired and restored. Thirdly, to keep the timber roof construction visible, the roof was insulated from the outside, following the sarking principle.

The approach for the restoration of the Hooghuys was based on two elements: respect and the dialogue between old & new. First step in the restoration process was to demolish the different partition walls of the former maiden-rooms to create one open landscape office. Secondly, the timber roof construction was repaired and restored. Thirdly, to keep the timber roof construction visible, the roof was insulated from the outside, following the sarking principle.