Clarenhof Senior Housing
Clarenhof in Hasselt combines a care hotel and assisted housing on the historic Clarissen site. Designed by a2o, it blends contemporary comfort with the site’s tranquil, convent-like atmosphere, using sustainable materials like wood and Herning Waterstruck bricks to preserve both character and warmth.
Contractor:
Heijmans / Bilzen
Architect:
a2o / Hasselt
Development type:
Residential
Location:
Herning, Denmark
The complex is a combination of a care hotel and assisted housing on the former site of the Clarissen order on the inner ring road in Hasselt. Architect’s firm a2o has managed to perfectly merge the old and the contemporary, both in the care hotel and the assisted housing units. The peace and tranquillity, so typical of convent life, have also been incorporated. The new layout has remained in keeping with the historic layout of the buildings.
Sustainable materials such as wood and brick were used for the interior and the exterior of the building. The Herning Waterstruck brick by Vandersanden was chosen for this project; a dark brown brick with reddish-violet shades. The Waterstruck effect is of a relatively smooth texture with very few pockets. Typical of this Waterstruck facing brick is the added engobing. This technique creates very special colour effects, and depending on the light, there is even a subtle sheen.
