After a 1998 reform that included the merger of municipal police and gendarmerie, the old police station on Market Square in Schoten, Belgium, became too small and outdated to accommodate the force’s needs. The police and city hosted a design competition for a new building, which would be built on the gas company site just outside the city center. ARCADIS worked with Huiswerk Architecten to develop stability and engineering techniques. Based on this collaboration and an innovative approach to the U-shaped site, the team won the project and went on to develop a well-coordinated solution that both provides a stunning model of sustainable development and fully meets the needs of the police force.

Working around an existing gas station, the team created a building set off the street, which provided Schoten with a new village square. The two floors of the station, which together make up for 2655 m2, are composed of housing offices, public spaces, dressing rooms and a cell block. Working within strict energy guidelines, the designers chose recyclable materials, and insulation (K30) and extra sun protection that drastically reduced the need for heating and cooling. In particular, automatically controlled folding screens in the walls and roof provide natural cooling at night and ventilation in the winter. Part of the rainwater is recycled for flushing toilets, while the rest infiltrates through the soil. Today, Gasketel Square, named after a large gas tank that stood on the site until 1973, provides an exemplary building to the village of Schoten. To top it all off – the building won the press prize in the ‘Challenge 2020 Contest’ in November 2009.