Back in 1997, Evert Crols, Dirk Engelen and Sven Grooten set up an independent office for architecture: B-architecten. 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 launc
hed 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.
