Architect in the spotlight: The PSK Group of Architects

a versatile design team
The PSK Group of Architects has, for the past decades, been recognised as a sure value in the health care sector. The office in St. Truiden has always chosen for substantial diversification in their order portfolio. Whatever type of building the architects design, their style cannot be viewed in one single category or style. But when looking for a constant in the architecture of the office, bricks are often the logic solution. And often, the Nelissen Brickworks range is the first choice. Discover three beautiful examples.
The PSK Group of Architects has existed for almost sixty years. Founded in 1958 by Pirard, s’Heeren and Kesenne, the office started by designing houses and office buildings. It later evolved towards designing buildings in the health care sector. In 1998, the current directors, Guido Ieven, Henriette Paulissen, Jean-Louis Radoux and Hugo Velaers, headed up the company after a management buyout. Today, the group of architects are dedicated to the healthcare sector, the office-block market and large housing projects, both for developers and the social housing sector. In their design solutions the office strives for user-friendliness. In their approach the architects are organised vertically. ‘The architect tasked with drawing the first lines of a project will in principle also be the one that works through to the end of the project and will thus also chose the curtains. Therefore, within the PSK Group of Architects there will always be someone specially informed of the entire construction project. That is also very comfortable for both the customer and the contractor.’



Emphasizing horizontal lines
A common thread throughout the work of the PSK Group of Architects is the use of bricks. ‘It is a durable and price-worthy product. Apart from this, there is no material that ages as beautifully and well as bricks do. In combination with new materials and techniques, we reduce the risk of uniformity in the architecture,’ confirm Henriette Paulissen and Guido Ieven. With this preference for bricks, the firm’s relationship with Nelissen Brickworks was quickly established. The PSK Group of Architects recently designed some beautiful projects that were carried out by using Nelissen facing bricks. For example, on the Beukenplein in Diest - along the access road towards the centre of the town when coming from the direction of Hasselt - the De Beel project is in the pipeline. This housing project consists of 50 spacious appartments divided over four buildings. The buildings are covered with the grey tints of the Arte bricks. ‘The light grey of the Arte is interspersed with the dark grey colour of the sintered variant. The two colours are complimentary. The slabs are placed with thin bed mortar in a random fashion. The long, thin bricks (N70-format) emphasise the horizontal effect of the low buildings,’ says Henriette Paulissen about the project.



Classic masterpiece
In addition to the large-scale residential projects, the PSK Group of Architects also designs equally good domestic homes. The villa Reynders in Hasselt is a recent example. ‘The architecture has a classic look, where the roof volumes definitely attract attention. The orange-red to red hue of the Rialto is accentuated by the slightly recessed accent of the lime mortar. Interiors with its modern interpretation forms a good contrast to the classical architecture', states Henriette Paulissen.
The villa shows that the Nelissen range lends itself to both classic and modern buildings.



Two faces
Another recent addition to the list of references of the agency is the residential care centre St. Anthony in the centre of Zaventem. The nursing home has a unique location on the Market Square, opposite the church. The design responds to this with an inner patio, which is considered semi-public. The nursing home sends through its inner patio an inviting gesture to the environment. Visitors and residents also find their way to the inside along the way of this patio. The buildings are decorated in the Carma - module 50. A thoughtful choice, because it responds to the materials used in the surrounding buildings. Several buildings in the area, including the church on the other side of the Market Square are done in Diegem limestone. The Carma leans towards this but certainly distinguishes itself as complementary. The format emphasises the elegance. The facing bricks are laid in a stretcher bond with thin-bed mortar.
The residential care centre is organised around two courtyards. Where the architecture of the building around the inner patio on the side of the Market Square opens in an inviting manner, the building around the second patio remains rather restrained and sober.  This gives the complex, as it were, two faces despite the use of the same materials.







The PSK Group of Architects expresses its confidence in the quality products of Nelissen Brickworks
We previously collaborated on the following projects:


Borgloon – Residential care centre Bloesemhof
Genk - Residential care centre Toermalien
Hasselt - Appartments for assisted living Molenpoort – Hasselt
Hasselt – Office building VGGZ
Hasselt – Residential care centre, Care hotel Salvator
Kumtich – Residential care centre Keienhof
Landen – Residentie Village (appartements)
Maaseik - Residential care centre De Maaspoorte
Meerhout - Residential care centre De Berk
Meldert – Residential care centre Senior Assist
Nossegem – Residential care centre and appartments for assisted living Ter Burg
Sint-Truiden – Kapelhof Brustem 22 dwellings
Tongeren – Appartments for assisted living Wijngaardstraat
Zaventem – Appartments for assisted living Stationsstraat