There are three clinical departments for adults (36, 36, and 24 patients) in both open and closed settings; day treatment (therapy rooms); outpatient care for adults; center for autism (children); therapeutic center for adolescents; child psychiatry center; all with clinical and outpatient facilities. Additionally, there is also an emergency accommodation service.
Education, Training, and Research
The IPI plays a major role in psychiatric research at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) in Brussels, which is located on the same campus. The building houses classrooms and study spaces for students, as well as an auditorium used for both lectures and conferences. The psychiatry professors from UCL are also practitioners at the IPI.
Healing Environment
The building is located on the edge of a natural area, the Woluwe Valley. We designed the building to open up, in three parts, towards this valley. The greenery of the valley is extended into the interior of the building. All rooms offer views of nature. The rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize the effects of light, air, and space. The building itself has a concave shape, making each room slightly different and creating a fluid façade that blends seamlessly with the surroundings.
As a result, the corridors are never straight but slightly curved. Despite its size, the building maintains a human scale and is immediately divided into different units upon entry, providing each patient with a sense of being at home in their own individual accommodation.
Use of Green in Relation to Nature
The Woluwe Valley is part of the Natura 2000 network and has a protected status. The natural surroundings have been incorporated into the building, taking advantage of the significant variations in terrain to allow greenery to flow over the roofs of the building. This integration ensures that the building is fully immersed in its natural surroundings. Some gardens are secluded, while others (open gardens) directly border the nature reserve and seamlessly transition into it. By using untreated wooden elements in the exterior, the harmony with nature is further emphasized. The presence of greenery is also experienced on the upper floors, not only through the views but also because the floors slightly extend beyond the façade, allowing for green strips along the building’s perimeter that run directly in front of the windows. With the floor-to-ceiling windows, this creates a direct connection to the outdoors and the greenery.
