Hasselt - Social housing Banneux district

With the redevelopment of the site in Banneuxstraat and Kiewitstraat, Wonen in Limburg (WIL) wants to create some 100 high-quality social housing units that better connect with the area. The design team is expected to contribute to the reflection on how the project can contribute to a sustainable neighbourhood with more staying quality. WIL has allocated a budget of €25,000,000 (excl. VAT and fee) for this purpose.

Since 1 July 2023, all 19 housing companies in Limburg have formed a single new housing company: Wonen in Limburg (WIL). WIL is a powerful network that aims to significantly increase the housing offer and strengthen services. WIL does more than sell and rent housing and has an eye for the small everyday things that matter. WIL thus seeks to create vibrant districts where everyone really feels at home and where it is pleasant to stay.

The Banneux district is a residential area north of Hasselt. The first houses were built here after World War II. To accommodate new workers, the district expanded over the years. It now has more than 7,000 inhabitants. The project area is located near the parish church, on the corner of Kiewitstraat and Banneuxstraat, and encompasses the public Lod Lavki Square. The residential area is characterized by a mix of flats and ground-level houses.  

The current monotonous housing volumes obstruct views and passages to the residential area at the back. The dwellings are outdated and no longer meet all contemporary standards. General accessibility also leaves much to be desired. Recently, the buildings were partially insulated and fitted with new joinery. The designers should investigate how materials already available on the site can be used sensibly. The quality of the public space is also unsatisfactory. The semi-underground car parks prevent contact with the public space and have led to much unnecessary paving. Green areas around the buildings are not connected to the houses. As a result, they are not used optimally and are experienced as residual spaces. Lod Lavki Square is also hardly used and could be put to greater use in the district.  

In consultation with the city of Hasselt, WIL aims to realize a quality social housing project with around 100 differentiated housing units. Different types of units are needed: 20% type 1/2, 10% type 2/3, 10% type 2/4, 25% type 3/5, 25% type 4/6 and 10% type 5/7 or 5/8. The units should offer comfort to families as well as to the elderly and single people. To this end, the district’s urban planning scheme, which is based on outdated principles, and the relation between the residential buildings, the (private or collective) outdoor space and the public space can be thoroughly rethought. The traversable quality of the district and the surrounding green spaces as connecting elements play a crucial role in this respect.  

In this project, the design of the unbuilt and green space is at least as important as the design of the residential buildings. That unbuilt space can have a structuring effect for the residential buildings and can give the project its identity and character. The Lod Lavki Square can become a green space where the various residents can meet and where passers-by or residents from the neighbourhood can also spend time. But there is also a need for outdoor spaces that, unlike the current green areas, are more involved with the homes themselves, and can be better appropriated by the residents.  

A contemporary approach to parking and mobility issues is an important point of attention here. Bicycle parking facilities should be more easily accessible than the car park. Some of the required parking spaces may have to be provided underground. Another part can be provided above ground and clustered, provided that it fits in with the landscape design and with the option of converting these spaces – when the need for parking diminishes later –  into staying space. Given its scale and the necessary relocation movements, the project will be implemented in phases.