At the foot of the iconic Brusilia tower block in Schaerbeek, Agwa has realised an urban project with a distinct social programme: a day nursery combined with six social housing flats and a large community vegetable garden on the roof. The project offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the typology of a traditional farmhouse with a communal courtyard, and is carefully embedded in the heterogenous Brussels context.

The site is situated in the Pogge neighbourhood, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Schaerbeek. It consists of a complex of three buildings, including the remains of a ‘fermette’ – an old 17th-century farmhouse that used to be the neighbourhood’s historic village centre. The farmhouse on Rue Jerusalem bears witness to Schaerbeek’s agricultural past and, as such, holds not only architectural significance but also sentimental value for local residents.