Wambeek (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Huis Aris, a funeral home in Wambeek, run by Joris Servranckx and Xenia Wortmann, is expanding. They’ll add a 120-seat auditorium (the current one holds 70) and a showroom. Founded in 1930, the business aims to meet growing demand, with up to six ceremonies daily. The first phase finishes early next year.
Huis Aris, a funeral home in Wambeek, has announced plans to grow its facilities. This will help meet the needs of the community. Joris Servranckx and his wife Xenia Wortmann run Huis Aris. They are the fourth generation of their family to manage the business.
They mentioned that the funeral home had served the area for many years. It is known for providing caring services that respect family traditions and wishes. With more people wanting civil farewell ceremonies, Joris and Xenia want to ensure their place is friendly and useful for these modern ways of remembering loved ones.
Is Huis Aris expanding to meet growing community needs?
Huis Aris is planning to expand its facilities. They will add a new and larger hall. Management mentions that this hall will allow more guests and create a peaceful space for farewell ceremonies. They will also build a new showroom. This showroom will give families more options for products and services.
Joris and Xenia want to make the experience better for families. They aim to help every family especially say goodbye. They said that they understand the changing needs of funeral services. Huis Aris wants to remain a trusted provider for many years ahead.
The auditorium at Huis Aris can hold 70 people, but it is not enough for the growing number of farewell ceremonies. Joris Servranckx, the great-grandson of the founder, says they sometimes have up to six funeral meetings in one day. He mentions that it can be hard to keep these moments quiet and calm in the building.
Joris and his wife, Xenia Wortmann, thought about moving the funeral home, but they decided against it. Huis Aris has strong ties to Wambeek, and the community knows them well at their current location. When they had a chance to buy the house next door, they took it and started planning for a big expansion.
“The current auditorium with 70 seats is much too small. We sometimes have up to 6 funeral meetings per day. Sometimes it is difficult to do that quietly and serenely in this building,”
Says Joris.
According to Joris, the new building will have a modern auditorium that seats 120 people. This change will help because they need more space for bigger gatherings. After the auditorium is done, they will start to renovate the current building for future use. They will do the work in stages so the funeral home can stay open. The first stage, which is the new auditorium, should be finished by early next year.
How has Huis Aris evolved since its establishment in 1930?
According to Joris, Huis Aris has a rich history that began in 1930. Jan Aris started his work as a funeral director at the age of 21. At that time, funerals were very traditional. Services were only held in churches. Before the ceremonies, families would display the deceased at home. They set up a black funeral chapel in their house to show that they were in mourning.
Joris Servranckx says that it was a lot of work, but times have changed. Even though the early days were challenging, Jan’s dedication helped build a business that has changed over the years to meet the needs of the community.
By 1986, Huis Aris became a leader in the area. It was the first to open a funeral home with a cold room, which was new at that time. Joris mentioned that this change allowed families from Ternat, Lennik, Roosdaal, and nearby towns to get better and more professional services. As more people wanted civil ceremonies, they built their current building on Assesteenweg in Wambeek in 2000.
This building has an auditorium for these types of services. Over the years, more families have chosen civil farewell ceremonies. Because of this, Huis Aris has continued to grow. They want to make sure they can help families with the care and flexibility that has been part of their business for almost a hundred years.
“That was still in the time when only church services were held. In the run-up, the deceased was laid out at home and a black funeral chapel was set up at the house. That was a lot of work, but times have changed,”
Says current owner Joris Servranckx.
