Renowned architectural photographer Marc Goodwin has expanded his acclaimed Atlas of Architectural Atmospheres project to Belgium, documenting the unique workspaces of architecture firms across Antwerp, Brussels, and Ghent. The comprehensive series showcases both large-scale practices such as B-architecten, POLO, and Binst Architects, as well as smaller boutique studios including Studio Okami, Stand Van Zaken, and Bruno Spaas Architectuur.
What makes this documentation particularly fascinating is the diverse range of buildings these firms have chosen to call home. Many occupy structures with rich historical layers, transforming former workshops, cinemas, storage facilities, and waterfront buildings into contemporary design spaces. This adaptive reuse reflects the creative approach these architects bring not only to their projects but also to their own work environments.
Beyond capturing stunning visuals of these workspaces, Goodwin posed the same thought-provoking question to each practice: "What makes for a good office space and office culture for you?" The responses reveal intimate insights into how architects conceptualize and create the atmospheres of their daily work environments. Studio Okami characterizes their space as a "home office away from home," emphasizing comfort and familiarity, while Brut highlights the importance of communal activities like shared meals and the presence of greenery to soften their penthouse location.
Among the featured studios, B-architecten operates from a historic cinema in Antwerp - the former Cinema Lux, which holds the distinction of being the first building in the city specifically constructed as a cinema in 1913. With 60 staff members, they believe "an office should inspire" and strive to create a pleasant workspace that fuels creativity while reflecting their identity as a design-driven practice.
Stand Van Zaken, led by Theo De Meyer in Ghent, has occupied a former horticulture building since 2019 with a small team of 3-5 staff members. Their philosophy is refreshingly simple: they value "a generous office." Meanwhile, Studio Okami in Antwerp has transformed a 1971 apartment building originally designed for executives in the petrochemical and nautical industries by architects Paul De Meyer and Leon Stynen.
The Brussels-based firm OUEST, which moved to their current location in 2021 with 10 staff members, describes their ideal workspace as "a place in which you can feel the group, the collective project. An atelier more than an office." This sentiment reflects a broader trend among Belgian architecture firms toward collaborative, community-oriented work environments.
OYO in Ghent occupies a particularly unique space - a former lock keeper's building from 1963 that was used for maintaining the locks of the island and was renovated in 2022. With 28 staff members, they envision "an office that evolves with its people, where the people shape the space, and the space, in turn, reshapes the office. A space that fosters spontaneous interaction and communication, cultivating creativity and innovation to flourish."
BRUT Architecture and Urban Design operates from a penthouse space in Ghent where 14 staff members have been working since 2024. They emphasize that "a good office space combines aesthetics and function to create a space that you can sit and move within with calm and ease, while also enabling healthy social interactions." They particularly value their spaciousness, natural light, panoramic city views, and plants that add life and warmth to raw surfaces. The firm makes daily communal meals a priority, believing that their open office layout facilitates collaboration while still providing smaller meeting spaces for privacy.
The series also includes i.s.m.architecten, housed in a former diamond cutting workshop from 1895 in Antwerp since 2010. With seven staff members, they embrace a philosophy that "creativity needs chaos. A good office welcomes the mess." This contrasts with the approach of POLO.platform, which operates from two locations - an 83-person Antwerp studio in a former shipping company office building from 1963, and a 20-person Brussels location in a converted storage and logistics facility that later hosted cultural events and fairs.
POLO.platform's leadership believes "a good office space fosters an open culture where the mixing of people and disciplines is encouraged. Whether it is through a spontaneous project discussion at the water-cooler, the involvement of our interior design or urbanism teams in an architecture project, or simply having lunch together: the environment should stimulate communication and community-building."
Binst Architects, operating from Antwerp since 2018 with 60 staff members, occupies a building with a particularly evocative history - a former storage facility for rubber imported from Congo. They advocate for spaces that "seamlessly blend openness with intimacy, where natural light, tactile materials, and thoughtful design foster both focus and collaboration. Office culture thrives when the environment inspires creativity, encourages dialogue, and reflects a shared passion for innovation."
The documentation extends to smaller practices as well, including Contekst, which has occupied a former notary office from 1906 in Antwerp since 2023 with seven staff members. They value "variety and a human approach to the spaces and allocation of the functions." Bruno Spaas Architectuur operates from a former stamp-making shop in Antwerp with just 1-3 staff members, believing that "a good workspace is calm yet connected, filled with objects, samples, and books that inspire. It provides space to create and experiment, and above all, it embodies a clear and cohesive harmony."
Established practices are also featured, including Robbrecht en Daem Architecten, which has operated from a wood storage building in Ghent since 2007 with 40 staff members. Notably, they designed their own building, constructed between 2005-2007. FELT architecture & design shares a creative coworking space with other architecture studios in a former fabric depot and sewing workshop in Ghent, where 11 staff members have worked since 2014.
FELT's approach emphasizes community and experimentation: "Our office is part of a creative coworking space shared with other architecture studios such as aNNo architecten and MAAT ontwerpers. The exchange between different practices, each with its own expertise, creates a fertile ground for creativity. The building's greatest asset lies in the generous height and scale of its spaces. Thanks to - or precisely because of - its modest finish, we value quantity over luxury. This spatial abundance allows us to experiment freely with large models, mock-ups, and tests."
Marc Goodwin's Atlas of Architectural Atmospheres represents an ongoing global documentation project that has been developing since 2016. Through his extensive travels, Goodwin has captured the unique atmospheres of architecture and design studios across major cities including Berlin, Istanbul, Barcelona, Dubai, Oslo, Paris, and Seoul. This Belgian chapter adds another layer to his comprehensive resource that serves both online audiences and print publications, providing valuable insights into how creative professionals shape and are shaped by their work environments.
