Social Housing Kapellen

The design brief explored the maximum feasible number of dwellings within the contours of the elongated site. Its shape called for an intelligent vertical arrangement of homes while preserving quality outdoor space. By departing from the traditional subdivision typology, the number of units could be doubled — a sustainable and socially conscious choice that offers each resident a high living quality.

An underground parking garage was considered but, for reasons of social control, safety, budget, and aesthetic coherence, the project opted for above-ground parking beneath a building-wide carport along the Kalmthoutsesteenweg. This forms a socially activated entrance zone providing access to the ground-floor dwellings and, via an external staircase, to the first-floor homes.

The top-floor dwellings trade their gardens for south-facing roof terraces with privacy screens. The result is a thoughtfully composed housing ensemble where architecture and organization converge into an optimal quality of living.