Modelwijk Laken

Modelwijk in Laken is part of the rich history of social housing in Brussels. It is a complete neighbourhood designed according to the principles of Modernism. The site is characterised by a high concentration of  high-rise apartment buildings, located in green surroundings. The renovation campaign for Modelwijk started in 2006. The renovation is a strategic project in the areas of housing, urban development and landscaping and optimises all of these elements.

The apartments will be given a larger living area and consequently the number of apartments will be reduced. To compensate for this, additional buildings will be embedded in the site within the existing rhythm, based on and in harmony with the master plan for the landscape. This makes better spatial use of the original relaxation areas on the edges of Modelwijk.

The neighbourhood’s original architectural core, based on a concept drawn up and implemented by architect Renaat Braem, will be restored. The selected materials and details will honour the spirit of this design, while adding contemporary elements. On the client’s request, additional specific solutions were put forward to address accessibility and social safety on the site.

The renovation programme for Modelwijk is the result of a mixed study that involved the designers, client and residents. The master plan was drawn up after surveys among the residents, visits to the site, talks with the government authorities providing the subsidy and consultative committees with representatives of the residents. Repeated requests for modern technical facilities for the apartments, acceptable acoustic solutions, relaxation zones sheltered from the wind, etc. were addressed in the concept.

The project is part of the Regional Housing Plan as a response to the housing crisis in the Brussels Capital Region due to the increasing demand for social housing (approximately 32,000 families were on the waiting list in the year that this project started). Factors contributing to this crisis include the low financial capacity of the people living in social housing and the increased cost of building and maintaining it.

The government of the Brussels Capital Region has encouraged local authorities to develop all possible initiatives to create more social housing. As part of this development, a cooperation was initiated between the social housing company BGHM as public partner and the users of Lakens Haard / Le Foyer Laekenois.
The renovations and new buildings comply with the new regulations on energy performances (PEB) issued by the Brussels Capital Region.

The four new towers are almost ready. A communal building and crèche have already been completed. The design, drawn up by Archi +I  team (part of B2Ai since 2018), A33, Atelier M a+p and Wessel De Jonge, is in the spirit of the original architect, Renaat Braem. Naturally it has been reinterpreted according to contemporary standards. When building is complete, Modelwijk will be able to provide 159 extra comfortable homes. The crèche, which has space for 60 children, is already in use.