META Architectuurbureau

Profile of META Architectuurbureau

Business Name

META Architectuurbureau

Location

Belgium

Services

Architecture

Website

http://www.meta-architectuur.be

[L-R] Niklaas Deboutte and Eric Soors

Principal(s)

Niklaas Deboutte (1963) and Eric Soors (1965)

Philosophy

We live in an open era. Everything can be or has been.

Cultures and styles have disappeared.

The modern and the classic are terms with a misty meaning.

Architecture has lost direction.

It is either dried out functionalism that makes form follow function, or arrogant formalism that makes function follow form.

Meta is beyond this architecture.

Meta Architecture thinks about architecture through the act of building.

She explains designing through the design.

The theoretical and the practical, design and critique, thinking and doing go together.

Meta Architecture is a metamodernism.

Being metamodern means: escaping modernity by being modern in different ways.

Meta Architecture does not sell solutions and does not answer questions.

She explains all questions in a meaningful whole.

Meta Architecture rejects no functions and designs no shape.

Form follows function that in itself acts like form.

The building is a story about building.

Antwerp, november 1991.

Background

• Founded: 1992
• Offices: 1
• Design team: 9

Key projects

• De Vijlder 1, single family house, Zoersel, BELGIUM, 1994
• Electro Loeters, commercial space and apartments, Oostende, BELGIUM, 1997
• Cartuyvels, single family house, Heusden - Zolder, BELGIUM, 2000
• Pedico, commercial space, Scherpenheuvel, BELGIUM, 2000
• De Natie, offices and apartments, Antwerp, BELGIUM, 2003
• Werkhuizen Min, offices and working space, Deurne, BELGIUM, 2004
• Joker, offices, Mechelen, BELGIUM, 2005
• Atlas, offices, Antwerp, BELGIUM, 2006
• Residence Galenus, collective housing, Antwerp, BELGIUM, 2007
• Sint - Gummarusstraat, social housing, Antwerp, BELGIUM, 2008

Key publications

• Archis, "Jaarboek Architectuur in Vlaanderen 94-95", Netherlands, December 1996
• A+U, 06.2003, "Driving trough Belgium II/Objects in the urban landscape", Japan, June 2003
• Belgium New Architecture nr. 2, "Siemens kantoorgebouw G43", Belgium, December 2003
• INTERIOR DIGEST, MAKCNManbhbin, Russia, January 2004
• de Architect, 'Krachtige basisinstrumenten', Netherlands, April 2005
• A+ 194, Belgisch tijdschrift voor architectuur, 'Sobere facelift', Belgium, June / July 2005
• A+D Architecture et Detail, ' Werkstatthaus MIN in Antwerpen', Germany, nr.27, 2006
• 1000 x European Architecture, "Headoffice Joker Toerisme", Germany, September 2007
• International Houses Atlas, ' Residence Cartuyvels, residence Kint-Verbeeck, residence De Vijlder 2', Germany, December 2007
• Jaarboek Architectuur Vlaanderen 2006-2007, 'Atlasgebouw', Belgium, June 2008

Key awards

• Prijs Arco, Euro-Belgian Architectural Award (house De Vijlder), Belgium, 1995
• Prijs Arco Euro-Belgian Architectural Award (werkhuis M.I.N.), Belgium, 1996
• Provinciale prijs voor plastische kunst (Electro Loeters), Antwerp, Belgium, 1998
• Awards Belgian Architecture (house Soors-Vandepitte), Belgium, 1999
• Awards Belgian Architecture (De Natie), Belgium, 2007