The 2025 Visit by Heilig Graf

June 25, 2025

This year, we once again had the pleasure of welcoming the fifth-year Architecture & Interior Design students from the Heilig Graf Institute in Turnhout. Guided by their teachers, Liesbet Paulussen, Daan Buys, and Justine Piedfort, they paid an inspiring visit to Jozef Schellekens’ house and Carli Vanhout’s studio residence.

It always brings us joy to welcome aspiring young designers and immerse them in the story and atmosphere of these two architectural gems.

Afterward, we received some lovely quotes from the students:

  • Jozef Schellekens’ House
    • I was amazed by the extraordinary color choices in this house.
    • In the workspace, at the drawing table, it must be wonderfully peaceful to work with this view and natural light.
    • In this house we could see drawings and sketches by the architect. They were beautifully executed! The guide told us about the lives of the first residents and how they used this house, which was interesting as it gave us insight into daily life from the past.
    • I found this building impressive. The numerous details and unique colours will stay with me.
    • I found the spaciousness of the entrance hall very beautiful. The bench that accommodates the level difference is also cleverly integrated.
  • Carli Vanhout’s House and Studio
    • The interior courtyard of this house was surprising. I also found the conversation pit very cozy.
    • I found it a wonderful experience to be able to look inside this house. The way the interior walls transition into exterior walls is unique and creates a strong indoor-outdoor relationship.
    • Both the patio and the fireplace were the eye-catchers of this house for me.
    • The brutalist building radiates tranquility. The row of plants that continues from outside to inside is absolutely beautiful!
    • I cycle past this building almost every day, and I’ve always found it to be remarkable architecture. I’m very pleased that I was able to see the interior and now know more about the architect’s vision.
    • I admire the concrete that was poured into rough plank formwork; it’s both raw and warm at the same time.
    • Thank you for allowing our ‘Interior & Architecture’ students from Heilig Graf to visit. We knew that a former student of our program had recently worked here, and we took the opportunity to retrieve his models from the bulletin board in our classroom and hand them over. The eternal cycle of learning, gaining experience, and passing on knowledge became very visible to us and our students.