The Heilig Kruiskerk has been transformed into a multifunctional space, including out-of-school childcare (IBO), event, ceremonial, exhibition areas, and an outdoor playground. This project, along with the renovation of the village square, has turned the heart of Boekhoute into a meeting place for everyone, from young to old, locals to newcomers, and believers to non-believers.
 
Inspired by Antonello da Messina's Saint Jerome in His Study, a new pavilion is introduced into the church. This amorphous structure invites people to linger, but also to move in, on, around, and through it. Its position and shape are molded in response to the church’s architecture. The form defines interior spaces and simultaneously shapes the remaining space in the church. Conceived almost as a piece of furniture, the object mediates between the small scale of the child and the overwhelming scale of the church.

To meet the demands of fire safety, climate control, and acoustics, the childcare unit is designed as a closed volume within the church. Inspired on the archetype of the pulpitum, a functional backbone separates the childcare area from the public space while simultaneously housing shared amenities such as the kitchen, storage, and restrooms. The design follows the principles of circularity and preservation. The original church floor is largely left untouched, while the new structure rests on existing foundation pillars to avoid unnecessary demolition. All added materials are lightweight, flexible, easy to dismantle, and ready for reuse—ensuring a sustainable and future-proof intervention..