Social housing redevelopment to create 500 homes

C.F. Møller Architects and BRUT have won a competition to design a new neighbourhood in Ostend for social housing clients De Oostendse Haard and De Gelukkige Haard. The winning proposal combines the ambitions of the clients with those current and future tenants to create an inclusive and green development. Lone Wiggers, partner and architect at C.F. Møller Architects, stated: “The mix of urban development, sustainability and building design as a means to improve life for both people and planet is exactly what we love and excel in.”

The De Nieuwe Stad quarter was built in 1972, and is struggling with the typical problems of post-war social high-rise neighbourhoods. The new scheme will revitalise the area with 500 new homes consisting of a variety of houses and high-rises, a spacious green park and a reopened creek. The aim is to improve quality of life and create new shared spaces for the tenants, while at the same time giving this ‘city in the city’ an appealing identity to attract visitors.

The sense of community is enhanced by collecting compact houses around three distinct forecourts. Housing entrances are situated on the ground floor alongside playgrounds, compact car access and parking systems. Together with the creek, a new bicycle and walking connection to the city centre will offer opportunities for recreation.

The designers hope that De Nieuwe Stad will become a model project through its use of sustainability and innovative housing typologies to foster a strong sense of community. Gunther Slagmeulder, architect and partner at BRUT, said: “This project offers a unique opportunity to restore the image of high-rise typologies within the context of social housing, especially since the current residents declare they like living in the neighbourhood. After all, high-rise is nowadays very topical in the discussion about densification and is gaining ground in other segments of the housing market.”

Lucy Nordberg
TenderStream Head of Research

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