Tales of a Drifting Mind

A few years ago I was able to get my hands on a beautiful industrial building in Hasselt, Belgium. The perfect location to start a ‘business’center for the creative industry. Today KAAI.16 hosts several creative & ambitious companies, a co-working place and several flex offices for young entrepreneurial minds. Besides that, it is a venue to host activities like PechaKucha, Barcamp, TEDx Conferences, OpenCoffee and many more. But, the work is not done. 

By 2013 a new building has to arise next to the existing one. Enlarging the available space to even more innovative companies. Although KAAI.16 is just a structure made out of bricks and steel, I do believe that creating the right surrounding and the right atmosphere really can add value to the people residing in it. “Making things possible by proximity”. The trick is to stay an open space. Not a walled garden for residents only. That’s why I asked Holistic Architecture 50|5 and my advisor Geert Pintelon to seek possibilities to include a state-of-the-art conference center, meeting & break-out rooms and an open lounge as well. To ensure a flow of people coming in and out while getting in touch with the creative residents.

There is still a lot to do: plans to finalize, investors to seek, getting the financials straigth … but again, I’m really enthusiastic to make it work. Next deadline is November. Hasselt will then host the Creativity World Forum. The ideal timing to unveil the concrete plans about the new KAAI.16 … Can’t wait!