A process,not a template
Context shapes form. That is why we look for a personal solution for every project, in close collaboration with you.
Six steps
Over time we have developed a process, but not a template. It is both a discovery and an iterative process in search of a personalised solution, determined in close collaboration with the client and reflecting the project's specific requirements and context.
- 01
Meet
We start by listening. In a first conversation we go through your goals, trying to understand and tease out the functional requirements, ideas, intentions, needs and wants. Where possible, we look at the space or building together.
- 02
Brief and fee
From that conversation we articulate a clear brief. It helps you think carefully about what exactly you want to achieve and defines the project scope.
Based on this scope, we propose an estimated fee for our services.
- 03
Concept
We kick off with a brainstorm of ideas, sketches, voices and materials that we bundle into a first presentation, setting out the first lines for the spatial design and further approach.
In general, a clear direction already emerges from the options presented. It is also the moment to refine the brief and consider budget constraints.
- 04
Design
We then explore the concept further, with greater consideration for structure, material, detail and services. This stage usually ends with a design for final review alongside a set of detailed drawings.
- 05
Preparing the works
This stage involves material selection and specification, developing construction details, selecting suppliers and integrating documentation from other consultants.
At the same time we start contractor selection. We assist in negotiations and propose suitable alternative contractors, to ensure competitive tendering and the best balance of quality and price.
- 06
Site follow-up and handover
Once work has commenced, we make consistent site visits and thoroughly assess and report on the quality of the work, to ensure the agreed specifications are met and a smooth handover.
Frequently asked questions
- What exactly does an interior architect do?
An interior architect designs the interior space: the layout, the materials, the light, the furniture and the technical details that make it work. It goes beyond furnishing or decorating, because we also draw how everything is built and follow up on the execution.
- Do I also need an architect or a planning permit?
It depends on the intervention. Changing the structure, façade or use of a building in Belgium often requires a planning permit (omgevingsvergunning), which usually requires an architect. For an interior within an existing building that is often not the case. Your municipality can tell you exactly what applies.
On such projects we work together with the architect, as with Wouter Geldhof at De Orthodontist and with Dierendonck-Blancke at Carcasse.
- Do you also work for private clients?
Yes. Alongside hospitality, brands and practices, we work for a select group of private clients, from a complete home interior to a few bespoke pieces of furniture.
- Which area do you work in?
The studio is based in Kortrijk, in Southwest Flanders. We work throughout Flanders and Brussels, with projects in Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Knokke, Veurne and Nieuwpoort among others, and abroad too, such as the WAW showroom in Paris.
- How is the fee determined?
After the first meeting, we define the scope together. Based on that scope we propose an estimated fee, so you know where you stand in advance.
- Do you also design furniture and objects?
Yes, and we love it. Among others we designed service carts for The Jane, Krug and Veuve Clicquot, butcher's tables for Carcasse, a DJ booth for Nick Bril and our own objects in the Mixture series.
- Can an existing or listed building be given a new life?
Certainly. Many of our projects are in existing buildings: a car workshop, a storage building, a spinning mill, an old inn. At B&B BBruT, a listed farmhouse from 1824, the façades were preserved and the terraces were placed within the existing volumes.
- Do you take sustainability into account?
Wherever we can, we keep what is already there, such as the structure of a building, and choose materials that age well. Technical choices such as heat pumps, solar panels, geothermal heating or a helophyte filter, as at BBruT and M-Bistro, are integrated into the design.
- How long does a project take?
That depends strongly on the scope: a bespoke piece of furniture takes less time than a complete renovation with a permit. After the first meeting we draw up a realistic schedule, tailored to your opening date or move.
- How do we start?
Send a short description of your project to hello@bjornverlinde.studio or call +32 499 737 487. Plans, photos or an address help us prepare the first conversation.
Ready for a first conversation?
See first how this worked out in practice, for instance at De Orthodontist or BBruT.
Get in touch