The joint VUB-ULB project Usquare in Ixelles has been awarded the 2026 Flanders Architecture Prize in the ‘Works’ category by the public jury. In recent years, the former gendarmerie barracks have been converted into an open university campus and urban neighbourhood. Nic Van Craen, General Manager of the VUB, is delighted with the recognition. “We are creating a place where different worlds meet: education, research, entrepreneurship and everyday city life.”
The prize is organised by the Flemish Architecture Institute. It honours projects that are not only architecturally strong but also have clear social and sustainable added value. Instead of demolishing everything, the Usquare project opted for the careful restoration and reuse of the existing buildings. Seven historic buildings were given a new purpose, whilst respecting their original structure and materials.
Bricks, wooden floors and other elements were reused as much as possible. New additions are recognisable but blend in with the existing whole. The result is a site where old and new coexist, without either dominating the other.
Usquare is not a traditional university campus. The site is conceived as a mixed-use space, where various functions come together and where the local community also has a place. For the universities, the site serves as a workplace and a learning environment. Students, researchers and partners use Usquare as a testing ground to collaborate on themes such as sustainable construction, the circular economy and urban development. There are teaching and research spaces, as well as workspaces and areas that local residents can use. Student accommodation and family homes are also planned. This ensures that the site is used at different times of the day — not just during teaching hours.
Nic Van Craen
The public jury appreciated precisely this combination of functions. The Flanders Architecture Prize aims to recognise projects that are not only well-designed but also contribute to the daily lives of users and their surroundings. “We wanted to avoid this becoming a closed-off university enclave,” says Van Craen. “The aim was precisely to create a place where local residents also feel welcome, and where interaction arises naturally.”
The project is the result of intensive collaboration between various partners. The design of Usquare was developed by evr-architecten, BC architects & studies & materials and Callebaut Architecten. The development was commissioned by the VUB, the ULB and the Maatschappij voor Stedelijke Inrichting (MSI/SAU), which manages and develops the site. This collaboration forms part of the basis for the integrated approach, in which heritage, sustainability and new urban functions come together.
In addition to the public award, Usquare Feder also received an honourable mention from the expert jury. The combination of heritage conservation, the reuse of materials and a clear commitment to openness towards the city was seen as a major plus point in the assessment. “This project has taken years of preparation and collaboration,” says Van Craen. “The fact that it is now appreciated by both experts and the general public confirms that we have taken a sustainable and relevant direction here.”