Collective housing AGVC / De Gouden Liniaal Architecten

Architects: De Gouden Liniaal Architecten
Location: Statielei, 2640 Mortsel, Belgium
Area: 473.0 sqm
Year: 2013
Photographs: Bart Gosselin

Client: AG Vespa
Budget: € 705 000 (excl. VAT)

From the architect. As part of the city of Antwerp’s Land and Property policy, AG Vespa (“Autonomous Local Enterprise Real Estate and city projects for Antwerp”) purchases run-down properties in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and seeks, by regeneration or renovation, to provide positive incentives in and around the city centre to contribute to a better living environment.

A former petrol station, on a corner of a residential neighbourhood together with an adjoining property, is being demolished to make space for three flats. They are spread over five floors, two homes consist therefore of both ground and first floor. All homes have also a (build-in) spacious terrace connected to the living area. The ground floor is partly taken up by a public bicycle garage, where individual bicycle sheds adminstered by the city of Anwerp are rented out.

Starting from the planning process a concept for the façade was investigated in order to capitalise on the characteristic architecture of the area. It becomes a prominent brick building whereby within the properties of the material subtle details and possible combinations between textures and colours was explored, applied to the different sections of the façade: the ‘plinth’, the horizontal edges marking the different floors and the large spaces in between.