Photos of the renovated loft ready for occupation.

Some responses to the questions that I have been asked during the renovation period.

The kitchen and bathrooms are parts of the loft that will be used a lot. They need to be functional, efficient and luxurious, but it is still possible to make environmental choices about the materials and products used.

A bg thank-you to the many people who attended the launch party to celebrate the completion of the loft renovation on Friday 25 May 2007.

The loft will be available to rent from June 2007.

Entertainment: live music - New Pines band (follow the link to 'projects') and a demonstration of oriental dancing

Date: Friday 25 May 2007

Time: from 19.30 onwards

Where: Loft 8, 72a Rue de Poudriere, B-1000 (between St Catherine and the Canal)

Dresscode: anything you like but shoes that will not damage brand new parquet (no high heels) !

Come and join the fun. The event will also be a fundraiser for 'Children are the Future' A.S.B.L a small Brussels based charity working to support children in developing countries.

Bamboo parquet and ceramic tiles are the two flooring materials that have been selected for the loft.

The plaster products and the insulation materials for the walls have been selected because of their environmental profile.

PVC also known as vinyl, is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created. PVC is dangerous to human health and the environment throughout its entire life cycle, during production, in homes and when it is disposed of. Harmful chemicals are released during the PVC lifecycle, such as mercury, dioxins, and phthalates, which may pose irreversible life-long health threats. When produced or burned, PVC plastic releases dioxins, a group of the most potent synthetic chemicals ever tested, which can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive systems.

72a rue de la Poudriere consists of an industrial building which dates back to the early 1950s which was next to a small dead end street of small houses (Impasse de l'Écluse). In 1963, this dead-end street and its houses disappeared in favor of an extension of the industrial building. In 2005, the building was sold and converted into an office building and 8 residential lofts.