SMAK architects

“Architecture is about bringing people together by creating a better environment”

The Why.

Do you believe great architecture has the power to bring people together? So do we. At SMAK Architects, we design mixed use buildings that improve local neighbourhoods and entire cities. One brick at a time.

We believe the communities of tomorrow are diverse and lively environments where offices meet residences and production facilities. And above all: shared space is where people meet people. Great architecture facilitates these encounters.

The well-built houses and warehouses of the early 20th century inspire us with their durability and flexibility towards changing functions. Looking forward, no other place represents the future as much as schools do. They should be places where children, teachers and parents interact with neighbours. And just like residential and office projects, they should be sites that are embedded in their local community.

The How.

Each project requires a different approach. And for each approach, we gather the right experts around the table in our Antwerp studio. That’s where discussion and dialogue are the starting point of every interactive process.

But as you can imagine, not every discussion ends up in immediate consensus. That’s why we investigate a multitude of options by creating lots of models and sketches. In the end, this preliminary work leads to one final track, supported by the whole team.

With a little help of digital tools, paper sketches become volumetry studies and first renders. And once the path is chosen, we switch to the most advanced 3D software to elaborate the design and realize a high-end execution.

Interested in finding out where this process can lead your project? We’re happy to save you a seat at our discussion table!

The Who(s).

Mathias Kerremans is the founder of SMAK Architects. He developed his expertise and design skills both in Belgium and abroad, in the offices of Richard Rogers Partnership, VK group, Foster + Partners and B2Ai. Discover the full story of Mathias and SMAK Architects here.

Perrine Compain is a française with 10 years of experience in Belgium at Atelier de Genval and B2Ai, where she collaborated successfully with Mathias Kerremans since 2016. She joined SMAK Architects in 2019 and is head of the design team.

John Flippo is a Dutchman with over 25 years of experience in Switzerland, The Netherlands and Belgium. He spent an important part of his career at Charles Vandenhove where he developed his passion for detail and project execution. John worked closely with Mathias Kerremans at B2Ai, before joining SMAK Architects as head of the execution team.

Meet our entire team of amazing, international experts.

We regularly collaborate with great partners such as VHH London, A-tract architecture, Das Bauercabinett, B2Ai, Space lab[1] and many others.