dmvA . photos: © Dennis De Smet
The project is part of the development of the Hertogensite, situated between Brusselsestraat, Kapucijnenvoer, and Minderbroedersstraat in Leuven. Located just outside the old city walls, at the edge of the historic center of Leuven, a former hospital and university site is being transformed into a new urban quarter. Whereas the large site previously formed a closed urban block inaccessible to the public, the focus is now on strengthening the fine-grained urban fabric.
A covered branch of the Dijle River, running north to south through the center of the site, will be uncovered and enhanced by introducing a pathway for slow traffic and a park-like environment. The site’s heritage is being validated and complemented with new buildings, while east-west connections in the form of alleys, residential streets, and squares link the site to the historical city center. Within this site, the project by dmvA+ encompasses two adjacent sub-projects within the residential cluster “Pathologie,” bordering Minderbroederstraat. The protected Pathological Institute will be repurposed as a university museum, serving as the cornerstone for the development of a building block around a communal courtyard. On the southwestern side of this area, dmvA+ is developing a building with 20 social housing units, executed under the CBO procedure, alongside five private city houses.
Social Housing
The positioning of the L-shaped building forms a cornerstone and completes the façade of Minderbroedersstraat. The long section follows Minderbroedersstraat, while the short section creates a passage to the inner area of the Hertogensite. The new structure aims to enhance the livability of Minderbroedersstraat while respecting the uniqueness of the cityscape and the adjacent heritage.
The connection to the protected Pathological Institute determines the cross-section and, consequently, the façade of the new construction. This narrow alleyway gains a corner accent in the new building by tapering the volume along the alley to the ridge line. The valuable townhouse on the opposite side of the alley thus gains a more prominent place in the streetscape, with its original freestanding façade restored. The corner accent creates a micro-neighborhood square, offering greater openness and livability to Minderbroedersstraat.
In addition to the heritage context and urban planning constraints, orientation is also a decisive factor in the placement and typological design of the new residential project. The street façade on Minderbroedersstraat faces south, meaning that outdoor spaces will primarily be located on the street side. These spaces take the form of recessed terraces or loggias, adding depth to the façade and enhancing the street’s experience. The ground floor level of the housing units will be raised approximately 30 cm above street level, with the terrace serving as a privacy buffer. By making the loggias for the duplex units double-height, the homes benefit from better sunlight and light penetration within the narrow street profile of Minderbroedersstraat. Large façade openings enliven the streetscape for passersby and create a rhythm in the street. A warm, monochrome palette of gray tones provides a luminous effect.
To ensure a cohesive façade on Minderbroedersstraat, a rhythm of alternating façade openings with the same scale as the ground-floor loggias is projected on the upper floors. The double-height façade openings on the upper floors are formed by stacking two terraces on top of each other. These apartments on the second and third floors are accessible via a gallery on the northern side, which also serves as a meeting place for neighbors.
A passage through the alley provides access to the residential project, giving the collective housing building a single address on the alley, which extends into an inner street within the communal courtyard. The entrance doors are not located on the street side but rather along an inner street within the communal area, aligning more with the character of group housing and fostering more activity in the inner courtyard.
In line with urban planning requirements for sloping roofs, a system of dormer windows is applied to enable living spaces with terraces on the roof floor. This results in specific housing typologies with three bedrooms that benefit from through-light living spaces, extending from terrace to outdoor gallery.
In the short leg of the L-shaped volume, one-bedroom apartments are organized to benefit from west-facing orientation on the residential courtyard side and east-facing orientation toward the communal courtyard. Specific tailor-made typologies have been developed for the corner solution, including a duplex on the ground and first floors, and family apartments on the second and third floors.
As a response to the heritage context, the building aims to assimilate into the protected cityscape without replicating stylistic features. Brickwork is a logical continuation of the primary material in the protected cityscape, demonstrating its durability over time. A tactile and vibrant surface is created through the play of relief and masonry patterns. Horizontal articulations emphasize layering, referencing the string courses and cornices typical of the heritage context.
Urban Residences
The five single-family homes are designed as a contemporary ensemble that harmoniously responds to the architectural and historical context of the urban block. The scale of the houses provides a deliberate counterbalance to the larger volumes in the surrounding area. By designing the houses, garden walls, and storage units as a cohesive whole, the transition between the smaller-scale houses and the larger surrounding buildings is softened. Simultaneously, the ensemble strengthens the identity of the enclosed residential courtyard behind Co-housing Botanico, creating a quiet and intimate space in Leuven’s city center.
The lower height on the western side of the urban block has a functional relationship with the surroundings, allowing evening light to penetrate deeper into the inner area and improving the livability within the courtyard. This creates a smart balance between small-scale architecture and sufficient light and air for the urban block.
The architecture deliberately interacts with the surrounding buildings. Red brick façades, inspired by historical properties, provide continuity in the streetscape, while subtle variations in detailing, reflections, and roof shapes create a dynamic yet harmonious façade. The ensemble reflects the strict and sober architecture of the opposite Pathology Institute while adding playful nuances that correspond to the human scale of the residential courtyard.
The roof shape, with sloping sections on the front and rear and a concealed flat roof in the middle, complies with urban regulations and reintroduces the single-family house grain into the streetscape. This roof design has the added benefit of integrating PV panels and ventilation ducts invisibly into the flat roof section. The overall composition of the façade is thus shaped by this interplay of ambiguity, aiming to address the scale transition of the single-family house within this urban block. Due to the narrow width of the plots, the quality of the houses is sought in the cross-section, leveraging orientation and both internal and external visual relationships.
The buildings on the periphery enclose a central courtyard. The courtyard includes the collective garden zone for the social housing project, the five private gardens of the row houses, a bicycle storage area accessible from the courtyard, and a rear entrance for the repurposed Pathology building. The courtyard is divided into zones with different ownership but is spatially conceived as one cohesive landscape. The image of a Begijnhof emerges as a suggestive reference for the spatial concept, where various boundaries are clearly defined by walls and gateways surrounding a central space. Some boundaries have a degree of transparency, allowing the gardens to visually merge into a single landscape. Structures such as outbuildings and fences serve as carriers of vegetation. Strategically planted trees and pavilions define the communal courtyard into partial spaces. This approach demonstrates the ambition to explore new forms of living within a dense urban block featuring mixed typologies and programs.
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Client: Revisterra, Dijledal
Location: Leuven
Realization: 2018 – 2024
Design team: Bruno Van Langenhove – Atelier BLAU, David Driesen, Tom Verschueren, Eva Vanderborcht, Ine papen, Nina Dalla, Dries Delagaye
Structural engineer: Establis
Engineer Techniques: Creteq
Photography: Dennis De Smet
Size: 20 social housing units, 5 private city houses
