This house in the densely populated and densely built-up commune of Saint-Gilles was a drugstore back in its day, but it is now a sublime family home. The award-winning project consisted of combining both the heritage and energy aspects of this structure, built in 1846. Thanks to a simplification of the house's envelope, the insulation of the roof, facades and of the ground (using cellulose, wood fibre, cork), the house is now a low-energy consumer. They also installed triple-glazing and have a double flux ventilation system alongside a geothermal well. The air tightness rating is a staggering 0.95. On top of all of these elements, the following was done to minimise the impact of construction and increase the sustainability of the building in the longer term:

salvage and reuse of old materials

use of natural materials as much as possible (clay, wood, etc)

construction of an intensive green roof

rainwater salvage and containment system

The 'GLOBE' building was constructed last year on a site located on the corner of Rue Bernaerts and Chaussée d’Alsemberg in Uccle, with access to both of these streets, and near to shops and public transport.

The project was designed as a whole, with a central area meant to be particularly green and which will be the link between the occupants. The outside passageways, the common external space and the private terraces are meant to promote harmonious living together for all of the occupants of the apartments. Particular attention has been paid in the design of the apartments to ensure that everyone's privacy has been respected, while still providing surroundings with a lot of light.

This is a resolutely contemporary project; it demonstrates that energy savings, comfort, togetherness and audacity are all compatible. The apartments are passive zero-energy, each of them has their own photovoltaic installation. The building was awarded the "Exemplary Building" status by the Brussels Region due to the sustainable aspects of its energy consumption and its use of materials.

During the open day, we will get to visit a vacant apartment, but also lived-in apartments and meet the dwellers and hear about their experiences.

Saint-Gilles has had a market for as long as people can remember. It used to be a small market with just a few stalls on the church square, but in the early 20th Century it developed into a major marketplace. 6 days a week, dozens of stalls populate the square… And on Mondays, the market goes just a few hundred metres away, to the Town Hall square (Place van Meenen).You can find all the food you want at these markets. Organic produce is also sold, but for the best selection head to the organic supermarkets on the Rue du Fort and Chaussée de Waterloo! This summer, the market square, called 'Parvis de Saint-Gilles', was made car-free so that people could enjoy the sunshine on the sought-after terrasses. It was so popular that cars are now entirely banned from there, all year long! One small step for man… Alongside the market stalls, this multicultural neighborhood has lots to offer to people hunting down a good lunch. Check out the cafés and small restaurants for what they offer. And be sure to come back here in the evening – it's a hotspot for the young and trendy on a night out.

Lambic beers are spontaneously fermented with wild, naturally occurring yeast and bacteria. The yeast and bacteria

reside in the air as well as in brewery equipment and entire brewery structures such as decrepit roofs.

Cantillon brewery is very conscious of its responsibility towards its customers and the environment. They use only

organically grown cereals and some of the beers are labelled with "ecolabel" certified by Ecocert .