The warehouses at the legendary Jack-Op Brewery in Werchter, home to the famous student beer for almost 100 years, are to be repurposed. We are turning them into a new residential district 'Brouwmeester'. This new building project comprises 46 modern apartments, two homes and a commercial area built around a large public courtyard. This autumn, work will start on the first building, ‘Mout’. We expect to receive the first residents at the end of 2023.
‘Brouwmeester’ will emerge right in the centre of Werchter and will feature three buildings: ‘Mout’, ‘Hop’ and ‘Gerst’. The work is scheduled to begin in the autumn, and will start with the construction of ‘Mout’. This will be built between Beverlaak and Sint Jansstraat. ‘Mout’ comprises 21 apartments with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms. The five apartments on the ground floor each have a small private garden. The apartments on the three other floors have spacious terraces. These have views over the green courtyard and the village of Werchter. A number of apartments can be adapted to suit disabled residents, including wider doors and corridors. A further two homes with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, garden and terrace will be added to the sides of the building. There is room for residents to park their cars in an underground car park, which includes space for bikes, charging points for e-bikes and speed pedelecs.
“Brouwmeester’ is the ideal base for those who wish to enjoy some peace and nature, but still want to be within easy reach of the big cities. The bus stop is close by and you can quickly cycle to Leuven, Mechelen and Aarschot, thanks to a number of cycle highways. The village centre, with plenty of little shops and cafés, is really pleasant, and nature is only a step away. The local Village Primary School, nursery, sports club and Chiro are all within walking distance. The popular annual festival Rock Werchter is a bonus for those who love music.” Jan Knippenberg, project developer at Ciril.
Industrial look
The project comes from the drawing board at Archipelago, a firm of architects. The architects opted for modern architecture which retains a certain industrial look. Furthermore, the facade in Beverlaak will be kept, as a nostalgic reminder of the past. In this way the centre of Werchter will retain its identity.
“We are also opting for a sustainable nearly zero-energy (BEN) project. This means that heat pumps and solar panels have been incorporated, along with floor heating, thermal insulating glazing and a high-quality ventilation system. All of this means that living in ‘Mout’ will be extremely energy efficient." Jan Knippenberg, project developer at Ciril.
The construction of the other two buildings - ‘Hop’ and ‘Gerst’ - will follow once ‘Mout’ is complete. The first residents of ‘Brouwmeester’ are expected at the end of 2023.
Legendary brewery
The names chosen for the project naturally bear witness to the legendary brewery. This was founded in 1869 by the Van Roost family from Werchter, and was originally named after them. Around 1894 the Brewery was renamed “De Palmboom” and as from 1934 it was simply known as “Jack-Op”. The beer was very popular with students. Partly because the family regularly invited them to visit the company and gave them a real treat, or so the story goes. After graduating, the students returned to their villages or towns and went in search of their favourite brew. In this way Jack-Op ended up being famous throughout the country and, for a while, was even one of the most popular beers.
After ceasing its production in Werchter in 1965, the brewery finally closed its doors in 1970. For a while, the ‘student beer’ was still brewed by other breweries, until stopping in 2007. Since May 2010 a limited quantity of the regional beer has been distributed via local retailers in the Werchter region.
