Social Housing Project Leiekaai

On the former site of the “La Fidèle” match factory in the Brugse Poort, this social housing project offers a thoughtful urban reinterpretation. Where industrial decline left only scattered parking boxes, a new ensemble of 17 apartments and 5 single-family houses now integrates seamlessly into the scale and morphology of the neighbourhood. Two apartment buildings and five compact urban houses structure the site: through-apartments facing the Leie River frame the landscape, the corner volume activates the passage and encourages social interaction, while the Lieremanstraat houses with active street façades enhance liveliness and informal surveillance. The rear area, co-designed with Robbrecht and Daem architects, becomes a shared green space with separated circulation for cars and bicycles, discreet parking solutions, and qualitative collective outdoor areas. Through robust materials, a layered composition, and a strong focus on context and community, the project restores urban continuity and dignity, weaving history into a sustainable contemporary living environment.