Police Polder
The new police building, located on Woumenweg in Diksmuide, forms an architectural junction between a residential neighborhood and an industrial area. The building is strategically positioned at the corner of Woumenweg and Pluimstraat to ensure maximum visibility and functional access.
The site layout of the building is focused on optimal functionality and integration into its environment. The primary operational entrances and exits are located on the faster Woumenweg, while the secondary entrance for visitors is organized on the quieter Pluimstraat. A green buffer surrounds the building, creating a visual and functional separation from the surrounding areas. The public entrance is strategically placed on the city side, featuring an inviting covered portal that lowers the threshold for visitors.
Bieke Bruggeman (on site)
The building is organized over three floors, with a clear separation between public and operational functions. The ground floor houses the public areas, including reception desks and semi-public interview rooms, as well as a logistical garage and technical storage rooms. Detainees enter via a vehicle sally port and are directly led to cells or secured interview rooms.
The two upper floors are dedicated to operational functions such as offices, changing rooms, and meeting rooms.
The compact square floor plan organises the functions around a central atrium with abundant daylight, serving as an informal meeting point for staff and a space for holding informal sessions. This core connects visually, circularly and programmatically, forming a hub between workspaces and the roof garden. Thanks to a modular 5x5 metre grid, a neutral structure is created that can be easily rearranged. This results in a building that evolves with the needs of the organisation and supports a variety of working methods without structural interventions.
The entire supporting structure consists of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), chosen for its environmental performance, structural quality and speed of execution. Prefabrication enables a short construction time with minimal impact on the environment. The expressive wood structure remains visible in the interior, where it not only adds warmth and tactility, but also offers a recognisable materiality that radiates comfort and transparency.
The façade is designed as a light curtain that envelops the building. It consists of a membrane of perforated and profiled aluminium sheets, painted in a very light blue shade. This choice of material responds to the design brief to create an introverted building that keeps its internal workings discreet, but at the same time exudes a certain presence in the streetscape. The perforations provide a filtered view from the inside to the outside and vice versa, allowing movement and activity to remain subtly perceptible. At the same time, they function as passive sun protection.
