Oostende - Duinhelm

On 17 March 2024 the official opening took place of a first implementation phase of the residential project for people with a mental disability of the non-profit association Duinhelm, the design of which was entrusted to Raamwerk-Robuust-Atelier Deruyter via Open Call 3405. The housing project is an integral part of the neighbourhood and offers the necessary security to its residents: a generous place where spontaneous meetings and activities take place.

Vzw Duinhelm starts from the ‘full citizenship model’ used today in the sector of care for people with mental disabilities. The development of Duinhelm is therefore part of a bigger picture. In collaboration with a private developer and a social housing company, a common route was mapped out, with each partner ceding part of the site to develop a communal green zone. The entire park is car-free, with communal green areas and functions.

The designers succeeded in anchoring the new urban development on Zilverlaan in the existing context, with the Duinhelm project site acting as a hinge between the old village centre, the new master plan and the existing neighbourhood. A new public route acts as a backbone for the development, resulting in a layered, fordable and green site. In the centre of the site, an open space will be provided that serves as a meeting place for the residents of Duinhelm, but also has significance for the neighbourhood.  

The curved plan of the houses conceals a double movement: a concave outer curve flanks a footway, and a convex inner curve embraces a sheltered outdoor space. The all-sided building allows for full use of the site. By building partially double-height, the required density was coupled with a high-quality, challenging outdoor space.  

The programme was spatially translated into a large house that opens up to the neighbourhood while providing the necessary security for its users. Each resident finds his or her own place in the succession of various rooms, each with its own identity, scale, proportion and orientation. A good life is rich in experience. The postman doing his rounds, the gardener pruning a tree, schoolchildren cycling past… these are all small stories that seep into the house in a controlled way. Nevertheless, the house provides a clear framework within which the everyday takes a leading role. It provides a warm home for the residents and a functional environment for the supervisors.  

Proximity was taken as the starting point both in plan and cut. The architecture is the spatial translation of a functional and homely concept, which is clearly expressed in the direct relationship between the night zone and the day zone. Clear detailing with a limited palette of natural materials and colours gives the building great legibility. 

Duinhelm npo is an organisation that provides tailor-made support and guidance to people with a disability, in the areas of housing, work and leisure. Our organisation starts out from a basic notion: ‘normal when possible, special when necessary’. This means offering support as far as possible in normal circumstances, but adapted to our clients’ capacities and limitations.

Duinhelm aims for a high quality of life for everyone. We want to give our clients opportunities to make their own choices when it comes to housing, work, learning and leisure. Our support is always based on the client’s requirements and can be applied flexibly. After all, not everyone needs the same form of support.

Duinhelm npo supports a total of about 200 people with a disability in the middle coastal region, with the aid of 97 members of staff. The npo has been in existence for over 40 years. The present infrastructure in Rietstraat in Ostend no longer complies with contemporary standards. For this reason, Duinhelm npo wishes, in the medium term, to construct a new building for people who need 24-hour support, and to do so in stages at a new location. In the first stage 20 rooms are to be built, and in the second stage 20 more.

The residents are people with a mental disability for whom the building is to be a true home. Account must be taken of the fact that they may in fact have multiple disabilities: reduced mobility, visual problems, etc.

The development of Duinhelm is part of a larger whole. In association with a private developer and the Woonwel social housing company, a collective project is being worked out in which each partner relinquishes part of the site for the development of a communal green zone. Traffic in the whole park will be limited and there will be shared green zones and amenities. It is important that the new Duinhelm infrastructure is geared to this larger whole. The principles for the landscape design for the public zone are provided as part of the assignment.

The building should present an inclusive face to the surrounding neighbourhood, with the aim of maximum integration. In addition, the building should as much as possible incorporate the principles of universal design. Resources must be used frugally. The design should combine the lowest possible investment with the greatest possible functionality.

This assignment includes drawing up a concept plan for the two stages (40 residents), combined with the first stage of execution (20 residents). An important element when drawing up this concept plan is the generation of a schedule that allows for the phased construction of the new building. The fee for the second stage of execution must not be higher than that for the first.

The principal reserves the right not to award the second stage of execution (20 residents). He may decide to award it to a third party, which will involve a new tendering process. In such a case, the designer cannot assert any right to damages.