Sociale woningen Halewijnlaan

The Halewijnlaan project by Puls architecten arose in the context of the Constructieve Benadering Overheidsopdrachten (CBO, Constructive Approach to Government Assignments). This is a process whereby private parties design and build housing projects and then sell them to a social housing company. The post-war Linkeroever district is also characterised by design based on modernist principles, with large volumes and wide open spaces. The new building project in Halewijnlaan was in danger of falling victim to its location, as building within the bounds of the existing urban planning guidelines would have resulted in an unwieldy volume parallel with the street. To achieve fifty high-quality flats with various orientations, and to provide collective spaces of a different type, Puls architecten questioned the urban planning regulations in consultation with the developer. Instead of designing a ponderous building, two smaller volumes were set at right angles to each other. A shift in scale was made in the measure of the dwellings, from unité to ensemble. The proposal was approved by the town council and will in the future continue to be valid as an urban planning principle for the adjacent plots.

This text is based on the project text of the architects and the essay of Isabelle Blancke & Jürgen Vandewalle, which is published in the Flanders Architectural Review N°14. When Attitudes Take Form