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.

The municipality of Helchteren had 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 two tunnels 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

This presents a wonderful opportunity for the Pastorie: its historic path to the church can be restored, reconnecting both parts of the village. The Pastorie can once again become a gathering place for the community and the neighboring school.

At the same time, the new North-South project brings mixed emotions, as approximately 145 buildings—private homes, commercial spaces, and more—will need to be removed. For many residents, who have lived there all their lives, or even for several generations, this transition is anything but easy.

Throughout a series of gatherings with the community, building upon previous findings by 1 master students, after carefull reading of the garden and envisioning the future of the pastorie as a house for the neighbourhood, we decided for a garden pavilion and a pizza oven to create a welcoming and informal meeting place, open to all. 

During - and in preparation of - the building phase, we took 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 have designed and built 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 have come to learn and build with us.