designboom first published the ‘house in rotselaar’ by belgian practice AST 77 on august 19th, 2012, and has since received images of the completed interior which we are featuring in this article (see original publication here) the updated project uses simple color treatments and exposed oriented strand board (OSB) panels to add character to the spaces and cut down on the amount of excess material the stepped sequence of levels are visually connected through a diagonal sight-line making the interior feel much larger than it is while still maintaining individual programmatic elements the dwelling is nestled within a forested plot in rotselaar the 26.3 meter long by 4.5 meter wide footprint is an open volume which navigates a steep grade the exterior is clad with bamboo poles framed with black steel structural elements the facade treatment attempts to recede into the context of tree trunks strategically placed windows offer outward views and increase the passive solar gain taking the place of a previously existing bungalow and extension the architects recycled the retaining wall in the hillside to inform the direction of the house rather than orienting it towards the street as would be traditionally done the residence heralds almost all possible strategies to comply with low-energy standards rain catchment on the roof transports the water to the basement level which contains filtration and recycling equipment and the heat pump radiant floor heating and ample use of insulation and ventilation along with locally-sourced unfinished materials adds to the sustainable nature of the project a walkthrough of the house and some brief words from the architect (audio in belgian)video © AST 77 original interiorimage © steven massart original kitchenimage © steven massart original living roomimage © steven massart stepped interior contains the work area above the kitchen overlooking the living roomimage © steven massart (left) work desk(right) kitchen areaimage © steven massart (left) kitchen counter(right) dining areaimage © steven massart dining and living roomimage © steven massart use of color and simple furnishings add character to the spaceimage © steven massart living room areaimage © steven massart stairs to the second levelimage © steven massart oriented strand board interior with exposed systems reduce material use and wasteimage © steven massart description: low energy bamboo housename client: thijs – peetersconstruction year: 2010 – 2011surface area: 1060 m2built area: 118 m2living surface: 260 m2energy level: e 40materials: timber frame constructionwalls: bamboo – bamboe fencingwindows: wooden – kwadro – 1,0 wm²kroof: steel plated – finn roofheating: floor heating – climasolutionsheat pump: daikinarchitect: arch.- ing bart gullentopssafety coordinator: 2b-safeenergy consultant: 2b-safecontractors: kris hermans AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Almensch Belete took the spoils on home soil at the sixth leg of the Lotto CrossCup in Rotselaar The 24-year-old acquired her first victory of 2014 following on from a runner-up finish in the IAAF Cross Country Permit race in Diekirch last week and third-place finishes in Antrim and Hannut in January Belete covered the muddy 6.3km course in 20:39 to defeat the evergreen Veerle Dejaeghere who just missed out on the bronze medal at the 2013 European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade in December won the men's 9.8km race by a comfortable margin The 24-year-old former European cross country junior champion who is best known as a 1500m runner on the track stopped the clock at 28:19 to defeat his compatriot Bashir Abdi eighth in Belgrade and also a member of Belgium’s silver medal winning senior men’s team in the Serbian capital the winner of the 2013 European Cross Country Champoionships under 23 title dropped down distance and took the men's short 2.8km race in 8:00 The men's 12km went to form at the USA Cross Country Championships as Chris Derrick took a repeat victory at altitude in Boulder The 23-year-old renowned on this surface as he was the second man home in the USA's silver medal winning team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz last March Derrick was arguably among the best prepared for the testing conditions as the 27:31.38 10,000m runner has been training in Colorado in the build-up to this race The reigning champion began to show at around the halfway point of the 12km race who also helped the USA to a team medal in Bydgoszcz and Sean Quigley were the only runners from the pack to cover Derrick's move but the pre-race favourite began to forge a winning gap at 8km Derrick's margin of ascendancy extended to 25 seconds as he crossed the line in 36:14 with Luke Puskedra coming through for the runner-up spot in 36:39 Mack comprised the podium in 36:43 while Quigley drifted back to fifth in 37:02 “I want to be the best cross country runner in America,” said Derrick. “I feel really strong in my training especially training at altitude at Colorado Springs Flagstaff-based Amy Van Alstine scored by far the biggest win of her career so far as she defeated 2011 IAAF World Championships 1500m gold medallist Jenny Simpson over 8km who set personal bests over 5km and 10km on the roads last autumn carried this vein of form to the Flatirons Golf Course as the 26-year-old made a determined effort just before the 6km mark much to her surprise as she later admitted proved decisive as she cruised to victory over the last 2km. as I could feel everyone breathing on me,” explained Van Alstine and that Jenny (Simpson) wasn't in front of me one of the few renowned track exponents not to shirk this race in favour of the Millrose Games came through for second place in 27:57 while Mattie Suver Steven Mills (with assistance from Christa Mann) for the IAAF Event organised in Rotselaar by Vermarc Sport Professional racing is due to resume in Belgium on Sunday July 5 with a kermesse in Rotselaar backed by the Vermarc Sport clothing company. though their precise line-ups have yet to be confirmed The race will see riders tackle laps of a 15km circuit around Rotselaar and the organisation said that the event will comply with coronavirus restrictions in Belgium. a maximum audience of 200 people is permitted at sporting events in the country though Vermarc Sport CEO Marc Verbeeck suggested that spectators would be allowed on the course as long as they remained 1.5 metres apart Alaphilippe and Evenepoel lead Deceuninck-QuickStep recon of Gent-Wevelgem - Gallery Naesen disappointed by reduction to Tour of Flanders distance Alaphilippe prepares for debut Tour of Flanders - Gallery Tour of Flanders cancelled over coronavirus concerns "Along the course we'll tell people to keep their distance. But in theory there's 30km of space [both sides of the road over the 15km circuit – ed], so there's room." The last race held in Belgium before the coronavirus pandemic interrupted the season was the GP Jean-Pierre Monseré on March 8, which was won by Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep). The first UCI event to take place in Belgium once international competition resumes will be Dwars door het Hageland on August 15. The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Verbeeck said that the Rotselaar kermesse will be open to Belgian teams and riders, as well as foreign riders who are based in Belgium. "Deceuninck-Quick Step, Lotto-Soudal, Alpecin-Fenix and Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise will be there. The other Belgian teams will probably also be there. Foreign riders living in Belgium will also be allowed to come," he said, though he declined to name specific riders: "I don't know anything about the exact riders who will come." The 15km circuit will bring the peloton through Wezemaal, where the Vermarc company is based. The company supplies clothing to Belgium’s two WorldTour teams, Deceuncinck-QuickStep and Lotto Soudal. "We live from this sport. It is very important for us that it starts up again," Verbeeck said. "The idea was born two weeks ago when the new rules for sport became known in our country. We then started negotiating with the cycling federation and with the mayor of Rotselaar. He helped us a lot and now there's an agreement for a race on July 5." The Belgian Classics were among the many races postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, though the majority of them have now been rescheduled for the Autumn, with the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Gent-Wevelgem all part of a revised October schedule. While the international calendar will not resume until mid-July, a number of events at national level will have taken place in Europe before then. Zdenek Stybar (Deceuninck-QuickStep) has already participated in a local race in the Czech Republic, while the Slovenian national championships road race will take place on Sunday. On Friday evening, Slovenian and Italian riders, including Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and Alessandro De Marchi (CCC Team) will participate in a criterium in Ljubljana. My granddaughter had just run a marathon and as a joke I said: I will run a marathon."Leempoels hopes to raise funds for the hospital attached to the nearby university of Leuven where researchers are working to find a cure for COVID-19.So far he has raised just over 6,000 euros according to Marlies Vanderbruggen of Leuven University and has covered about one third of the distance of a marathon.Leempoels recalls people falling sick during the 1957-58 Asian flu pandemic but recovering much more quickly than those affected by the novel coronavirus in recent months."As a doctor you feel touched by this and that's why I was happy now that I might be able to contribute something to fight the coronavirus," he said.Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Mike Collett-White Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times 103-year-old Belgian oldest former general practitioner Alfons Leempoels walks in his garden intending to cover a distance equivalent of a marathon to raise money for scientists researching the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rotselaar £8.99 £6.99 £47.99 £27.99 £27.99 £22.99 Booking now The band will mark ten years since the release of their debut album with a handful of shows this summer On sale soon We can’t believe it’s been a whole decade since their debut album either… On sale now They join already announced acts like Queens of the Stone Age On sale soon The Belgian festival has today added 20 more names to its lineup… Subscribe here to receive regular updates from DIY on all things festivals ↑ Back to the top Frenchman beats Riesebeek and Campenaerts in Belgian kermesse race Oscar Riesebeek (Alpecin-Fenix) took second place while Victor Campenaerts (Independent) rounded out the podium in the 164km kermesse race The race started with a moment of silence for the amateur rider Niels De Vriendt The action began soon after the racing got underway with a group including Campenaerts breaking away at the front A chase group including Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) formed behind eventually catching up after a long effort to make it to the front while the peloton followed at over a minute and would later be joined by another group attacking out of the peloton Sénéchal was out front with Riesebeek and Campenaerts as a 40-second gap lay between them and their pursuers Sénéchal then made his move with a handful of kilometres remaining His companions had no answer to the Frenchman's attack leaving Deceuninck-QuickStep to grab another victory in 2020 – albeit not at an official UCI race Dani has reported from the world's top races She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia In Wezemaal in Rotselaar (Flemish Brabant) a teen cyclist was killed yesterday evening as a result of a crash on a closed railway level crossing According to the Leuven public prosecutor's office the young man had ignored the barriers that were down Train traffic between Leuven and Aarschot was at a standstill all evening but has since returned to normal Railtrack operator Infrabel received a first report of the fatal accident around 8.30pm yesterday "The barriers at the level crossing were down and the lights were on red because a train was approaching," explains spokesman Thomas Baeken has reiterated the company’s appeal never to cross a level crossing when the barriers are down According to the Leuven public prosecutor's office a sixteen-year-old had ignored the barriers and was then hit by a train emergency medical team arrived at the scene Train traffic between Leuven and Aarschot was suspended all evening Traffic was diverted and the rail company put on replacement buses team managers and supporters travelled to Belgium for the Rotselaar CrossCup event Doubts about whether the event could go on with Storm Ciara following them across the Channel were there right up to the off However all went on and the athletes gained experience - and in some cases Held over a 6.5k course there were 12 English runners* in the Senior Women's race Despite the best Belgian and some Dutch runners in the race Alan Morris) outpaced them all to win for England in 22:40 8 secs ahead of Hanne Verbruggen of Belgium with Dutch athlete Jasmijn Bakker third in 22:51 Next home for England was Izzy Fry (Newbury AC followed by Belgium-based Stephanie Barnes (Bristol & West) 5th Eleanor Bolton (Ribble Valley AC) 7th and Sarah Astin (City of Norwich AC The English representation in the Senior Men's race totalled 15* and they didn't get things all their own way; a close hard-fought race saw Lahsene Bouchikhi of Belgium win in 30.08 just 3 seconds ahead of Adam Hickey (Southend AC Eamonn Martin) who maintained his fine form after winning the South of England Third was Dieter Kersten of Belgium in 30.22 before Ellis Cross (Aldershot Mick Woods) led the other England representative runners in 6th Jonathan Escalente-Phillips (Cambridge & Coleridge AC) 12th The U20 Women's race over 4.5k resulted in a win for Shannon Flockhart (Cambridge & Coleridge AC 6 seconds ahead of Alexandra Millard (Invicta East Kent AC Peter Mullervy) and a 1,2,3 was completed by Phoebe Anderson (Herne Hill Harriers Richard Massey) was 7th and Georgia Hayes (Reading AC Rob McKim) 11th - conditions underfoot were soft and parts of the course were on sandy lakeside paths which made for a pleasant setting The U20 Men's race was also clear-cut with Matthew Stonier (Invicta East Kent Peter Mullervy) - the master of close races - winning 21:02 2 seconds ahead of Oliver Newman (Cambridge & Coleridge then came Tomer Tarrango (Brighton & Hove/ Hercules Wimbledon John Clements) only 1 second down while Charlie Brisely (Invicta East Kent James McNeill) was 4th to complete a quartet of England runners at the front all within 6 seconds of one another "They were good results and with several Championship races still to come this year athletes know where they stand with regards fitness." Click here for full results *As well as selected England teams there were Northern Athletics teams a Men's team from Leeds City and a Women's team from Aldershot Farnham & Dist AC who had accepted the offer to go from the ECCA when the European Champion Clubs event had been cancelled due to no venue being available Leading AFD runner was Lauren Hall who took 11th place and leading Northern Athletics runner was Caroline Lambert in 14th Daniel Haworth led the Northern Athletics trio in 18th while Matthew Grieve was first home for Leeds City in 24th