The former Sugar Factory site along the Moervaart canal is an important part of Plusoffice’s Masterplan for the wider Moerbeke area. Following an intensive co-creation process with residents, the aim is to create a vibrant mix of local activity, diverse housing and medium-sized businesses. The area around Moerbeke is characterised by a varied and well-preserved open landscape, with rows of poplar trees, field lines and drainage canals. A high-quality setting for the compact village. The Moervaart canal acts as a natural border and prevents further urbanisation.
The redevelopment of the Sugar Factory site includes the creation of an elongated park zone along Moervaart, with new cycle paths along the recreational banks. A green ladder structure, perpendicular to the Moervaart, preserves sightlines from the historic Roman road and connects to existing slow village roads.
Its location on the edge of the village, overlooking the fields, offers a unique quality. The project realises a first cluster of the master plan intended for mixed housing. The plot, a trapezium located between Terwestraat and Moervaart, is bordered on its sloping sides by an existing lane and a newly created wooded area as a buffer to the existing houses.
Four volumes are strategically placed on the site that slopes down to the Moervaart. By varying building heights, they match the surrounding buildings. A subtle play of twisting resolves the difference in orientation between the street and the canal. The arrangement creates alternating sightlines between the building blocks and opens up to Terwest Street. Spacious bicycle parking at ground level encourages bicycle use, while there is no through traffic on the site. The pared-down design creates an abstract façade composition reflected in the canal.
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