ROW SOCIAL HOUSES

Location : Brussels, Belgium

Client : SLRB

Status : Competition first price, commission on going, 2023 - 2027

Photograph : Studio ACTE

Team : Atelier Kempe Thill + Architectes Assoc + Studio ACTE + Ney Partners + Studie10

Atelier Kempe Thill and Studio ACTE in collaboration with architectesassoc won the competition for a new large scale housing estate “Dames Blanches” at the Southern edge of the Brussels agglomeration in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe for the SLRB / BGHM public housing corporation of Brussels. The low-rise high-density project consists of in total approximately 25.000 m2 brute surface and more than 200 appartements spread over 15 different buildings including housing combined with a creche, several appartement blocks on a parking garage, elderly housing, several blocks of terraced houses and a small community center. The buildings are embedded into a new ecological-driven landscape by landscape architect Bas Smets and urban planner MSA.

This ensemble of 63 social housing units is thoughtfully integrated into the landscape through a series of terraces. These compact row houses, designed as triplexes, each feature front and back gardens. The semi-collective structure employs an efficient design with small wooden beams spanning 4.4 meters, promoting affordable and sustainable ways of living. The houses offer high-quality spaces with large windows, while pergolas provide solar protection and privacy. The use of wood, earth plasters, and the surrounding landscape reinforces the domestic character, enhancing both aesthetics and comfort.