Our future is urban & green: reinvigorating city centres with ample space for tomorrow.
Developing
A project developer develops untapped potential. We recognise opportunities, appreciate their value and work on planning, developing, and returning them to the city. We envision opportunities for a nicer neighbourhood, more affordable living, green space and space to breathe - and we bring them to life.
Ciril has over 30 years of experience in project development. All that time, we have been providing neighbourhoods and city districts with new opportunities for the future. We look for ways to improve how people live, work and relax via different types of real estate in mixed developments with a focus on reinvigorating city centres, and always tailored to the city or municipality concerned. We add what is missing and remove what is redundant. Our first step? Talking to the people and asking them what we can improve. We are always on the lookout for new opportunities.
Housing
Living in the city means having a place to call your own, while being closely connected to others and nearby all facilities and services. We put housing at the very core of our urban developments.
Ciril develops high quality housing for people in urban environments. From the get-go, we consider our residents to be our partners: this is the only way to achieve results that respond to what the local marketplace requires, making sure we offer the right mix of housing types and ideal living area layouts. In one neighbourhood, people might consider a central square with lots of green and a space to safely store their bicycle a top priority, while in another, people may prefer a communal vegetable garden to grow their own produce. That is why we figure this out together.
Working
An enjoyable place of work enables people to take more pleasure in what they do and to get more work done. And the closer by you are able to live, shop, work and relax, the better for the environment and for you.
Ciril also develops office spaces, practice spaces and administrative buildings. We don’t do copy-pasted office cubicles: we know that every company has its own specific requirements for its employees. We happily contribute to fresh ideas around work and a vision for workplaces equipped for the future. Maybe an office building needs to allow for later conversion into flats? Or is your company looking for the opposite: a working environment in an attractive old building, or inside a brand-new residential project? We develop the workplace of tomorrow – with you.
Relaxing
Relaxing is something deeply personal. To some it’s a stroll in the park, to others a stolen moment of exercise or a spot of retail therapy – and perhaps a drink on the terrace after?
Ciril develops places in the city designed for living, working and relaxing. By involving commercial spaces into our developments, we ensure that our projects are aligned with the urban fabric and the requirements of its citizens. Quieter neighbourhoods prefer more greenery, vibrant streets in the centre love coffee bars and shopping opportunities. Ciril joins forces with all stakeholders to make sure this urban vision is built to a human scale, and a pleasant one at that.
Cities
How do people like to live? What would cities like to offer? And how can we make sure those solutions are affordable enough for people to actually live in them? According to Ciril, the future is urban – leaving plenty of space in and outside cities for green and a healthy ecological balance. Solutions with an eye for mobility, humanity and quality of life are an integral part of our urban offer.
Ciril keeps the broader picture in mind: in collaboration with governing bodies and private partners, we think beyond just the building that needs developing, because this building in turn has an impact on its street, its neighbourhood, perhaps even the city. Some structures help to define the cityscape, while others fill in gaps or replace certain parts, so that cities can keep evolving together with their residents. One project at a time, Ciril tackles the cities of tomorrow.
PPP
In the late 90’s, Ciril helped shape Belgium’s very first public-private partnership project, through the makeover of Genk’s city square. Today we have almost 20 years of experience with PPP projects in Flanders and Brussels.
Every administration has its own vision of the future for its city or municipality. Yet in between dream and reality, cities often face a great deal of practical concerns. Affordability for instance, a sufficiently broad support base, adequate public participation and transparency… It’s not always a straightforward task for today’s cities to turn essential urban renewal projects into reality. A healthy mix of functionalities injects oxygen into the urban fibre – yet getting local residents, traders, organisations and neighbourhood committees to align and see eye to eye, requires a very specific approach.
Ciril is a seasoned city partner with plenty of expertise, understanding the extents of governing bodies’ political and societal needs. Our approach is one of tailored teamwork: from initial vision to financing, from development to realisation.
Caring
A city takes care of all of its residents: poor and rich, young and old, always paying extra attention to those in need of help or care. Through care homes, service centres, social housing or residential care centres, we contribute to that support.
Ciril has built up substantial expertise in real estate development tailored to specific target audiences: our residential care centres and social housing projects are integrated solutions aimed at assisting cities to make sure comfortable living is accessible to all. Together with investors, governing bodies and administrators, we develop bespoke projects designed to rapidly boost the city’s housing policy in a very tangible and sustainable way.
Investing
Our trade is to upgrade: to value that which is undervalued - not on some virtual stock market, but simply in your street and in your town. For 30 years, our family business has been loyal to this approach, keeping our feet firmly on the ground, creating tangible added value for cities.
We invest just like you. We consider our options carefully, make smart decisions and from time to time take a calculated risk. But we also go the extra mile: we negotiate, mediate, consult, inform, and create a support base for our investments. We do this together with governments, other businesses and with people just like you.
What are you invested in?
Investing in quality of life
We believe that quality of life – both for living and working – starts with space and light. Having infrastructure and services nearby make everyday life more enjoyable. Beside this, Ciril also teams up with a network of service partners focused on delivering tailor-made quality of life.
Investing in architectural quality
Ciril only partners with architects and engineers who share our vision: our buildings find their place in the city thanks to perfectly integrated architecture that’s adapted to its surroundings, paying extra attention to energy, acoustics and choice of materials.
Investing in environmental quality
Location, location, location. Our developments add value to their surroundings: neighbourhoods are upgraded or their existing value is reinforced. Thanks to our integrated approach, we leave locations greener, more intelligently organised and better connected.
To invest in sustainability is about more than just ecology: mobility, quality of society, social and economic factors are all contributors to an integrated, sustainable project – and to the financial bottom line.
Ciril analyses potential project sites armed with both binoculars and a magnifying glass. What’s the location like? What options do we have with regards to mobility? Is there any green space in the area – or the opportunity to create it? Are we able to build compactly to create more open space? What types of renewable energy or Internet of Things-based solutions could we integrate to enable our residents to live both more comfortably and more efficiently?
Transparency and communication are investments: without them a development project has no chance of moving forward – and both your and our investment are at risk of getting stuck.
Ciril organises neighbourhood information events and has in-depth talks with public and private stakeholders beforehand. We ask what is needed and what we can add. This information then becomes part of the blueprint of our plans and designs, long before a building application is submitted. We keep our eyes and ears open throughout the whole trajectory – ready to negotiate, inform or convince. As building activities begin, we ensure there is timely communication about the project’s planned course of action and about the measures taken to limit nuisances along the way. Proactive neighbourhood communication translates into durable collaborations and satisfied partners. The bigger our support network, the quicker we can deliver what we have set out to do.
To invest is to recognise opportunities and to create value from them. For Ciril, this value is both social (for the city and its residents) and financial – the value we create for our partners, investors and clients.
In the long run, adding value is only achievable through close collaborations with partners who are solid, reliable and have integrity. This also means being able to imagine the long-term future together: from one project to the next, but also across projects. Ciril believes that the real estate sector is one of many to face major evolutions. Dividing more greenfields into building plots is not a forward-looking approach. Preparing our cities for the future is. Your grandchildren, will they still be buying land, or flexible real estate certificates instead? We are thinking ahead to add our value.