Cohousing Waasland is part of the Clementwijk urban expansion project. The master plan incorporates aspects that are now generally recognised as essential challenges for the growing city; robust space for water and greenery, appropriate access and passage for pedestrians and cyclists, connections to the city centre and a plot size focused on collective housing formats. The project, by BLAF Architects and architecture and study office DENC!-STUDIO, provides a comprehensive solution for the use of cohousing as a residential model. In contrast to traditional horizontal, ground-based organized cohousing, the architects merged 18 dwellings and stacked them in a single compact building, thus reducing land use, material requirements, energy requirements, construction costs, etc. Collective gains compensate for the reduction in private living space; they include additional facilities in the buildings, a collective (kitchen) garden, the organisation of mobility and, of course, the pavilion. BLAF and DENC!-STUDIO implemented the project in accordance with passive house standards, which also minimises the impact of the techniques used.
This text is based on the project text provided by the architects.
Collective
Wenenstraat 1
9100 Sint-Niklaas
Belgium
May 2018