The monastery of Mariënlof is located on top of a hill close to the town of Borgloon in the idyllic landscape of Haspengouw. The monastery is an example of monastic heritage with a well-preserved and compact architectural quality. It was founded by the Order of the Holy Cross in 1431 and functioned for a long time as a destination for pilgrims. Since 1822 the Sisters of Our Lady of Colen of the Cistercian order took over. They have made minor changes and managed to largely maintain the original aspect of the site. In the last decade the different buildings have slowly become underused and vacant due to a decrease in its population.

The assignment set by the Sisters was to define a future (re-)use for the monastery, while respecting the spiritual core and origin, staying close to the monastic adage Ora et Labora. Concrete questions were: How to allow an extra user in the cloister quarters and other buildings around, while guaranteeing the presence of a (small) community of Sisters? How to reactivate the redundant buildings and the economic activities of the site without denying its spiritual and agricultural past? How to balance the contemplative life with the touristic potential of the site?