Dierendonckblancke architecten
This project consisting of 66 social housing units, a small day care center and an underground carpark is located between a busy regional road and a quiet residential area in Borsbeek, a suburb of Antwerp. The master plan aimed to break through the existing barrier between these two zones, in order to link the different contexts in one gesture .
The site is largely car-free and has been made accessible for pedestrians and cyclists at several places.
The whole consists of two blocks of terraced houses adjacent to the residential area, two blocks in the inner area and one elongated block along the municipal road.
The gabarite of these last three is the result of the choice for transversal terraced houses with a private garden at ground level, along with a concentration of one-room apartments concentrated around a limited number of circulation cores (at regular distance from e ach other).
The limited height of the volumes, in line with the gabarit e of the terraced houses, and the variety of private gardens and public squares , reinforces the open character of the inner area.
The buildings all have a similar appearance with regard to volumes and materials. They consist of a plinth in concrete stone while the upper stories are clad with yellow brick.
By focusing on a simple structure and realizing an architecture without frills, maximum use can be made for quality of life within a limited construction budget.
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