Hospital Knokke-Heist | BUROII

The temporary association AAPROG - BOECKX - BUROII won the ambitious competition of vzw Gezondheidszorg Oostkust for a new hospital in Knokke-Heist at the Belgian coast. The grounds where the hospital will be built, is 20 hectares large. The new health care facility contains a hospital, a rehabilitation centre, a care hotel, an outpatients’ clinic, lecture halls, public events’ spaces and a helicopter landing platform. The challenges and ambitions of the new hospital go from being original, highly functional and future-oriented to sustainable and in any case, conserve the rural character of the environment.

The new hospital seemingly levitates above the landscape and is dominated by nature and light as far as the technical rooms below the ground floor. The transition between outside and inside, between the care facilities and the public spaces is almost seamless resulting in an inviting and inspiring context of care. The design is a striking example of “living architecture”: sustainable design and construction with a special eye for integration in the natural landscape, ecological energy and used materials.
The particular approach from a true multi-disciplinary team means a rupture in the traditional approach in architecture and established a precedent in the open consideration and collaboration at every level: from concept and design, planning, constructing to occupation and future evolution. The design team realized a true break through away from the tradition of hospitals as functional boxes with sterile spaces and instead directed itself towards a harmony of medical functions, personal relief and comfort and social interaction. ......more