Steffi De Schamphelaere – Graduation 2025

Steffi De Schamphelaere
Waar groen ontmoet

landscape and garden architecture

Mentoren:
Griet Vanhaverbeke
Sally Lierman
Luc Deschepper
Pieter Foré
Ann Meirlaen

Links:

‘A garden of today, rooted in memory, blossoming into the future’

In the heart of Neerijse stands the Sint-Pieter en Pauwelchurch, which has been the center of village life and rituals for centuries. Its Romanesque towers bear witness to history, but the bonds of yesteryear are fading. Church attendance is declining, and the cemetery has fallen silent. Yet this is not the end, but an invitation to renewal.

What if this place could be brought back to life, not just as heritage, but as a vibrant meeting place? A green oasis where memories take root and new stories grow. Where generations come together among stones that whisper of the past. This project aims to reinvent the space around the church—a collective garden where silence and conversation, remembrance and plans for the future meet.

Here, connections are being built: between people, between times. The place is being given new meaning, not by letting go of the past, but by using it as a breeding ground for something new. The village center is once again becoming a lively meeting place, carried by the rhythm of the community.

Feel free to take a look 🙂

Steffi De Schamphelaere Waar groen ontmoet

Steffi De Schamphelaere
Waar groen ontmoet