Location: Knokke, Belgium.

Architect: Temporary association AAPROG – BOECKX – B2Ai.

The AZ Zeno hospital in Belgium, which opened in 2018, is a prime example of “living architecture” that integrates sustainable design and construction with the natural landscape. The hospital’s design is inspired by the works of René Magritte and features a floating shape that seemingly levitates above the landscape. The hospital’s design and construction took 10 years, with a focus on creating a warm and human living environment close to nature to aid in the healing process. The hospital contains a hospital, a rehabilitation centre, a care hotel, an outpatients’ clinic, lecture halls, public events spaces and a helipad. The total surface area is 52,000 m². The hospital’s design features a double façade that allows for natural ventilation of the rooms throughout the year. Patient rooms have wall-to-wall windows where possible, and each hospital wing was given its own color accent. The hospital’s design team worked with various artists to furnish the spaces, contributing to a quiet and homely atmosphere. The hospital’s shape, based on the Belgian surrealist Magritte, actively contributes to the healing process in all its aspects. The hospital’s sustainable features include a biomass boiler, cogeneration, and borehole energy storage. The hospital’s design and construction established a precedent in open consideration and collaboration at every level, from concept and design to occupation and future evolution.

Photo credit: Milosz Siebert, Tim Fisher, B2Ai.