U-MONS student dwellings
Technical and aesthetical renovation of an existing building in Mons historical city center housing 104 student dwellings for Mons University.
The existing building was built as a hotel in the 60’s. Bought ten years later by the Mons University, it was transformed into student dwellings. It contrasted strangely with its immediate environment because of its size and materiality.
The building is dismantled, only keeping its concrete structure. The building is completely renovated on its inside and outside.
The renovation aims to simplify the existing volume, improving its integration in its urban context (historical city center of Mons). The internal distribution is reconfigured, the facades and facilities are renewed, giving a whole new image to the building.
The new facade respects the modular and serialized character of the building function, giving it a new image with a vertical feeling.
The two main materials, wood on the main facades and dark grey brick on the side facades, contribute, on one hand, to integrate the building on its context and, on the other, to emphasize its public and contemporary identity towards the surrounding heritage urban fabric.
The building system is 100% dry (prefab construction elements, dry-joint system), which allowed to reduce substantially the duration and nuisance of the renovation works (12 months in total, originally planned for 24 months).
Common areas: circulations.
Common areas: one big common kitchen per level.
View of one of the student rooms.
Ground floor level.
Type level.