Every Flemish village has its Pastorie. This pastor's house (presbytery or vicarage) is close to the school and in direct connection with the church. With its distinct architectural appearance, the Pastorie is the heart of the community. 

Nowadays, few villages still have a pastor who watches over its church and souls. Many of the ‘pastories’ remain unoccupied and without purpose, often prone to vandalism.

Several years ago, the municipality of Helchteren decided to put the pastorie up for sale. They were hoping for a grand café or a nice restaurant that would breathe new life into the site but there was no real interest in the project.

And then a group of young enthusiasts – all friends and former members of a local youth organization – came up with a novel idea: why not open up the house  to the community again? Making it a meeting place, a green oasis for everyone? With Belgium’s busiest road splitting the village in two, there was no community life left, so the pastorie could be an opportunity to re-create a heart …

Their first activity was a night walk and a gathering at the pastorie as a makeshift outdoor movie location. It was a great success.

Their initiative runs parallel to the North-South complex project: an infrastructure project to rethink one of Belgium's busiest roads . Between Eindhoven (in the Netherlands) and Hasselt, about 45,000 cars pass through Helchteren every day, half of them people commuting between the two cities.

The basis of the project is the construction of a tunnel that will take most cars and trucks to their destination. Above ground, only local mobility will bring back the human scale, with comfortable bike lanes and trees, and well-organized public transportation.

The connection of the rectory to the church can be restored, both parts of the village can be reconnected: the rectory can once again become a meeting place, for the community and for the school next door....

Our building project will be an architectural intervention that transforms the site of the rectory into a community space.  At this stage the initiators are enthusiastic about a garden pavilion: it would give the place a new face and be an invitation to all who visit.

During - and in preparation of - the building phase, postgraduate participants take on the roles of designer, coordinator, spokesperson, quantity surveyor, materials manager, budget controller, festival organizer .... A good project is the result of intensive teamwork.

We will design and build this low-impact intervention together with the community, aiming to share the beauty of 'caring for our planet' with the wider public. During the building festival, neighbours and other enthusiasts are invited to learn and build with us.