Wood-look blades for an attractive newbuild project

With its historic charm and lively atmosphere, Bruges is a city that captures the hearts of both young and old. That’s why finding a home here, one that’s surrounded by greenery yet just a short walk from everything the city has to offer, truly feels like striking gold.

The Avenue residential development brings just that: 11 stylish, light-filled apartments and two commercial spaces in a location that blends nature with urban convenience. Its timeless design combines traditional brickwork with warm, wood-look details, creating a modern yet welcoming façade that fits perfectly into the character of Bruges.

Located along one of the main routes into Bruges, this development occupies a prime piece of real estate. Two outdated homes were cleared to make way for a thoughtfully designed, modern complex that offers a balanced mix of apartments, from cosy one-bedroom flats to spacious homes ideal for families.

Inside, a palette of light tones creates an airy, welcoming atmosphere, providing a striking contrast to the darker exterior finishes in Linarte Wood Design. Throughout the project, both indoors and out, the developers made a conscious choice to use premium materials, ensuring a high-end finish and lasting quality.

The façade, in particular, was designed to stand out. Given the development’s prominent location and the inclusion of commercial space, it needed a bold and distinctive architectural presence, and it delivers just that.

The appearance of wood without the maintenance

These days, apartment blocks finished in architectural concrete are seen everywhere. That’s exactly why developer Bossuyt Vastgoed set out to create a façade that would truly stand out, by moving away from the typical concrete look and exploring alternative materials.

“We initially considered wood profiles,” recalls project leader Baptiste Bossuyt. “But then the architect introduced us to Linarte Wood Design. We loved the look so much, we actually waited for the product to officially launch before moving forward.”

For Bossuyt Vastgoed, Linarte Wood Design offered the ideal combination: the warm, natural appearance of wood, excellent fire resistance, and minimal maintenance.

Architectural engineer Tom Jonckheere of Jonckheere IR-architecten adds: “We’ve used aluminum in many projects to visually connect windows in an elegant way. But when it’s the same color as the window frames, it can quickly start to look monotonous, especially on a building of this height. In those cases, wood brings visual variety. Of course, natural wood tends to discolor over time and gets dirty easily. That’s why we were so drawn to the Linarte solution.”

He continues, “We also wanted the garage door to blend seamlessly into the façade. Linarte made that possible, and the wood-look finish added real aesthetic value to the overall design.”

Practical benefits during and after construction

Façade cladding is often one of the last stages in a construction project, a practical decision to prevent damage from other ongoing work. But coordinating everything at that point is no easy task.

“Using Linarte gave us more flexibility in terms of scheduling,” says architect Tom Jonckheere. “If a profile gets damaged during construction, it can easily be replaced at little to no extra cost. That meant we didn’t have to push the cladding to the very end of the process.”

Even after completion, the modular nature of the Linarte system continues to offer major benefits. “Because the profiles can be individually clicked into place, it’s easy to make updates later, like adding new cabling without having to tear anything apart. It’s flexible from start to finish.”

P&S Projects handled both the window installation and the façade elements. Having one contractor responsible for both ensured a result that’s fully sealed against wind and water.

“As always, delivering a high-quality finish was our top priority,” adds the site manager. “Linarte made it possible to integrate all the systems seamlessly, including the garage door.” The system is easy to work with, and when paired with craftsmanship, the result speaks for itself. “In past projects using wood-look materials, we often struggled to capture the natural feel of real wood,” the architect concludes. “But this is a true breakthrough, a high-quality replica that gives the building exactly the look we envisioned.”