When the EPHEC (École pratique des hautes études commerciales) took over the Galileo campus in Schaerbeek from the HEG (Haute École Galilée) during renovations, the school saw an opportunity to secure additional classrooms for technical courses. Sandwiched between three streets, the possibilities for expansion seemed limited. According to Matador, the solution was hidden in the neighbours’ back garden.

The school acquired three adjacent townhouses on Rue Royale. Two of them were renovated, whilst only the facade of the nearest house was retained. Behind it, Matador designed a new structure that runs through the entire block, linking the busy Rue Royale with the lower-lying Rue de la Poste. The intervention improves circulation within the building, which now flows around the old courtyard. The block also accommodates a large part of the required programme, leaving space for a courtyard garden and allowing the extension on the Rue de la Poste-side to maintain a modest height.