Le Petit Cousin

This conversion of a former nursing home provides 19 apartments. The extinguished residential function is made active again, and the building proudly takes its place in the urban fabric once more.

The old ‘Hospice de la Vieillesse’ of the Antoing monastery is located in the center of the picturesque municipality, near Tournai.
The building was established as a hospice in 1880 thanks to donations from various donors, including the Philippart family, who gave their name to the street in which this hospice was built. Later, an additional wing was added, in which a hospital ward was housed, due to the increasing number of residents of the home.
Since the construction of a new nursing home in 1981 in Couture du Moulin, by the OCMW (Social Welfare Department), the building has been empty, a functionless entity in the city.
With the repurposing of this building into an apartment complex, the building can once again be actively inhabited. Divided over a ground floor and two upper floors, the project provides 19 apartments with one, two, and three bedrooms. These residential units of various sizes and layouts meet the most varied expectations and demands of the potential buyers. The original volumetry of the building is being restored by demolishing the later added east wing and the structure in the courtyard.

During the renovations, only the historic exterior walls were retained. The rest was renovated to meet contemporary comfort requirements. The thermal and acoustic insulation was realized from the inside, so that the stately character of the outer shell was maintained. The original bluestone detailing in the facades is visually prominent by painting the facade stone white.
The apartments are accessible via three entrance halls, one per wing. Each accommodation has a cellar and private parking.
At the rear, the ground-level apartments have a garden, accessible via new extensions, so that the residential units above can also enjoy a roof terrace with a view of the green area, a grandstand to the landscape, as it were.