Back in 1997, Evert Crols, Dirk Engelen and Sven Grooten set up an independent office for architecture: B-architecten. The three architects met during their education in Antwerp and Amsterdam. It was at the internationally oriented Berlage Institute where it became clear that Evert, Dirk and Sven shared a common design interest. Today, the office has expanded to three locations, Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent.

Ten years after the foundation of B-architecten, the trio launched a new initiative together with Sebastiaan Leroy: B-bis architecten – an office that focuses on small architectural projects, residential interior design, offices and shops, scenographies for exhibitions and performing arts, temporary installations and furniture design.

In 2020, B-city was launched as a B-platform with the aim to shape and supervise complex urban projects. The core of its ambition is to work on large-scale projects that carry the potential of becoming new city districts.

In 2022, B reinforced itself with a fourth pillar: B-juxta, the division of B that dedicates itself to restoration and renovation projects. B-juxta evolved from the Ghent-based Juxta, which has its roots in Architectenbureau Van Acker – later Avapartners. Since its establishment in 1967, the office grew into an important player in Flanders in the field of restoration, renovation and reallocation of architectural heritage and continues to live on today as part of B.

With B-juxta came the third operating base: a stately townhouse in Ghent's so-called 'millionaires quarter' that exudes history but where, inside, we work on the future. As such, today B operates from Belgium's three university capitals: Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent.

As a result, B has naturally grown into an office of more than 100 people. Each B-team has its particular focus and way of functioning, yet they all share a distinct innovative view on the variety of projects the B-platforms stand for.

At B, we believe that every single person can make a positive difference in life. We use our passion for the design and development of spatial solutions to build a better society with the city as main target.

We do more than develop buildings: we are a platform of talented designers who want to have an impact on the urban planning policies and improve the quality of life in doing so. Design is our core business – from door handle to city district – but we equally invest in innovative research, we publish and debate, teach at different universities, take our own initiatives and seize opportunities to push the boundaries of our profession.

For us, a better living environment can be achieved by urban densification. It will allow an optimized mix of experience, concentration, sustainability, quality, equality, human scale and technology. To achieve this we trust the power of our platform and the clever alliances we forge with complementary partners.

Every project is an opportunity to question, investigate and try out. We dare to question the question, we add to its value and let the design stem from the solution in a logical, but equally surprising way. All our projects are therefore unique. We deploy the knowledge and experience we have built over the years as a source of inspiration for new colleagues and other talents.

We are dreaming pragmatics, eager about tradition with respect for the future.

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With B-city, we added a third platform to our existing divisions B-architecten and B-bis. Its aim is to guide complex urban projects and supervise their creation. Projects with a scale that have the ambition to create a new city district are at the centre of B-city’s mission.

These projects are distinguished by:

• A long term (10 years or more)
• Different and diverse actors
• Major social and business interests
• The need for an intensive participation and communication process

Based on the knowledge that every urban renewal is subject to a unique urban process and dynamic, B-city operates with an equally unique group of team partners: urban planners, architects, moderators, academics, mobility experts, landscape designers, lawyers, ...

B-city thinks process-oriented. An important role in our activities lies in expertise that frames complex urban development projects within a broader social context and in a common basis that reconciles the various private and public interests.

B-city works with cross-domain research. Each team member is open to particular spatial solutions, new (residential) typologies and ambiguous public (green) space. Through a substantiated knowledge of the place’s history, the typical buildings that are already there and current trends in urban renewal, we connect the large scale with the small one. With B-city, we believe that design expertise should not be limited to one's own field. That’s why we critically question and challenge each other within a modus operandi of regular workshops with the aim of eventually complementing each other.

In 2017, our office transformed from a traditional top-down business model to an organisation that focuses on self-managing employees who are heavily involved in the decision-making.

Today, we are a close group of workers who carry a shared responsibility for the entire company process – internally and externally. We do not speak in terms of positions or tasks, but instead, there are roles and objectives. Everyone has their own autonomous responsibilities. One employee can fulfill one or several of these roles, for every one of which goals and expectations are determined after consultation with other members of the team.

Important assets of this organisational structure are the division of power, clear agreements and transparent consultation structures. They make the engine of the mechanism. In this self-managing business system we share knowledge and make decisions based on mutual advice in the entire company’s interest.

Yet, we believe well-being is just as important as prosperity. That’s why we have a rich tradition of well-developed team activities, such as a daily healthy lunch for all employees, snacks, pilates lessons on Wednesdays and the monthly B-café, where we invite external speakers to give a lecture. Every year we go on a day trip to B-projects in the implementation phase and in the month September we always go on a two-day trip. The working year is traditionally closed with a BBQ in the courtyard of our B-office.

2024 - Belgian Construction Award, 2nd prize in the category 'Belgian BIM Award' - Wielerdroom

2024 - Nomination Architectuur Prijs Gent - Heilig Hart church

2024 - Finalist European Collective Housing Award, category 'Renovation' - Qville

2024 - Renaat Braemprijs, public jury award - De Academie

2024 - Belgian Building Award, category ‘Company Building Award’ - Campus Aquafin

2023 - Publica Award, category ‘Climate responsibility’ - Roeselare town hall

2023 - Nomination Publica Awards, category ‘Heritage & architecture’ - gangway Pier Blankenberge

2023 - FEBE Elements Award, category ‘Outstanding precast’ - gangway Pier Blankenberge

2023 - Nomination FEBE Elements Awards, category ‘Precast in buildings’ - Ravelingen

2023 - Finalist Erfgoedjuweel - PSLab Antwerp

2023 - European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention, Special Restoration Mention - Gruuthuse museum

2023 - Buitengewoon Belgisch Bouwen Award - House ES

2022 - Nomination Staalbouwwedstrijd, category 'Utiliteitsbouw' - Centr'Al

2022 - Nomination Gentse Monumentenprijs, category ‘public projects’ - Blaisant church

2022 - Nomination Gentse Monumentenprijs, category ‘public projects’ - Gasholders

2022 - Nomination Belgian Construction Award, category 'Climate Future Award' - Campus Aquafin

2022 - Shortlist FEBE Elements Awards, category 'Outstanding Precast' - GO! talent

2022 - Shortlist Belgian Building Award, category 'reallocation' - Qville

2022 - Nomination Onroerenderfgoedprijs - Villa Voortman

2022 - Nomination Onroerenderfgoedprijs - Gruuthuse museum

2021 - Belgian Construction Award, category 'circular building' - Roeselare town hall

2021 - RES Award, category 'residential development' - Qville

2021 - Shortlist VRP Planningsprijs, category 'completed planning procedure' - Turnova

2021 - Nomination Brick Awards, category 'Sharing public spaces' - Erasmus University College

2021 - Nomination Brussels Architecture Prize, category ‘large intervention’ - Centr’Al

2021 - Nomination Brussels Architecture Prize, category ‘small intervention’ - Station of Laken

2021 - Belgian Building Award, category 'circular building' - Mundo-a

2020 - Nomination Brick Awards - Depart

2020 - Nomination Regiostars Award European Commission - Blaisant church

2019 - Gilbert Van Schoonbeke Award - Turnova master plan

2019 - ARC19 Architecture Award - Mundo-a

2019 - Laureate Publica Awards, category 'heritage & architecture' - Station of Laken

2019 - Laureate Jo Crepain Award, most innovative architecture office

2018 - FEBE Elements Awards, category 'Precast in Buildings' - Turnova tower

2018 - Laureate Staalbouwwedstrijd, category 'non-residential construction' - Het Moment

2018 - Honourable mention Bis architecture competition, theme 'reallocation' - Het Moment

2018 - Laureate Onroerenderfgoedprijs - Het Moment

2017 - Publica Awards, bronze in the category ‘city planning’ - Turnova master plan

2017 - Onroerenderfgoedprijs - Boterberg

2016 - Laureate Brussels voorbeeldgebouw (Be-Exemplary) - Centr'Al

2014 - Nomination Staalbouwwedstrijd - De Grote Post

2013 - Laureate Vlaamse Monumentenprijs - De Grote Post

2011 - Nomination Prix de la Maîtrise d'Ouvrage Publique, category 'promotion of the integrated approach' - L28

2010 - Laureate Monumentenprijs Oost-Vlaanderen, category ‘restoration and reallocation’ - Braun school

2009 - Prize of the professional jury Innovatiewedstrijd 2020 Challenge - Sports complex Maldegem

2007 - Laureate Brussels voorbeeldgebouw (Be-Exemplary) - L28

2003 - Award van de Belgische architectuur - Anyplace

2003 - Award van de Belgische architectuur - BSBbis

1999 - Antoon van Dyck Award, most promising architecture office

1989 - Staalbouwprijs - Front building Flanders Expo