When a young family from Ixelles was given the opportunity to privatise the roof of their 1930s flat, the search began for an architectural solution that would make the best possible use of that space. What was initially intended simply as an access point to the roof has been transformed by Central Office for Architecture and Urbanism into ‘Rooftop President’: a simple and understated roof pavilion.

The relatively young Brussels-based firm Central Office for Architecture and Urbanism aims to create architecture with a clear purpose, systematically prioritising the role of production, industry and self-sufficiency within the (peri-)urban context. The firm favours large-scale, public projects, consistently developing them across various scales. Occasionally, however, they are drawn into small, residential commissions. Rooftop President, together with a masterplan for road infrastructure in Genk, marked the firm’s debut and aims to strike a balance between whether or not to develop vacant land in the city – an issue that seems to be gaining importance now that a pandemic has somewhat complicated the path towards densification and infill development.