Maintaining the common research theme of social housing, my chosen context is that of Belgium, and it’s waterfront cities in particular. The ambition is that this study should complement the investigations for the final design thesis to be produced for the ‘Stage 5’ Diploma studio project at the Mackintosh School of Architecture.
Having been lucky enough to spend
the Winter semester of this year on exchange at the Accademia di Architettura
in Mendrisio, Switzerland, I have begun studies of two Belgian cities under
Atelier DeVylder Vinck Tailleu. As an introduction to the Diploma thesis, the initial
brief was to design seven single-family houses in Belgium (six in Brussels and
one in and Ostend). By applying the same brief and client to each of these
proposals, the influence of the surrounding context becomes extremely
important, and historical, cultural, social, environmental, economic and
aesthetic qualities of each neighbourhood are at once legible. All sites appeared
at first unusual places to live, and the resulting architecture in each
instance took on a quietly ‘monumental’ character in homage to its challenging
surroundings.
Upon return to the Mac in
February, the focus will shift away from Brussels and towards Ostend, and away
from private houses towards the more complex questions surrounding social
housing and its responsibilities towards the public realm.
It is arguably easier for a
single dwelling to offer a strong sense of identity than it is for a multiple-unit
social housing scheme. Such schemes are often accused of being “soulless”. How
then might a social housing proposal display an equally strong sense of ‘character’?
And could a powerful visual identity encourage feelings of pride and community
within a large housing development? Should this ambition be applied to the
scheme as a whole or to each home individually?
The
aim is to research a series of precedents in Belgium, and visit these in
person, in order to observe how they contribute to the public realm that
surrounds them: How is shared space used? How do the public interact with these
places? How can or should the divide between public and private space be read?
Projects
with shared and public outside spaces are of particular relevance to the thesis
investigations. Therefore in addition to housing, I also intend to visit some examples
of public landscape design that could be adapted to apply to housing
developments in comparable locations. Brownfield and particularly former
industrial contexts are of interest. The challenge of designing for new
communities in such places should begin with a look at how history has shaped Belgium’s
dockland landscapes.
The
revised preferred time for making this trip is mid-March 2014. Documentation
will take the form of photography, written observations and analysis, but above
all, sketches and hand-drawn studies produced on the trip will be used to
explore the themes and capture the essence of these places.
Provisional
destinations are Ostend and Antwerp, whilst Knokke, Ghent and Brussels are also
being considered. Shortlisted projects for visiting include:
514NE:
OCMW Nevele elderly housing; Huis aan’t Laar assisted living,
MDW
Architecture: Le Lorrain housing, Victor Bourgeois: Sint Agatha Berchem, ‘Cite
Moderne’ (1922)
Buro
II & Archi + 1: Sint Agatha Berchem Sustainable social housing 2012
Rotor
: Grindbakken Gravel pit restoration as gallery space [if accessible]
