The 6 buildings in the Minimes neighbourhood were
designed in 1954 by architects and urban planners from the Alpha group. The
architectural composition of these social housing units is elegant and the
buildings were erected with great care.
Still, time has left its mark. The thermal insulation
needs improving, and it is also important to equip all units with decent
sanitary facilities.
Special care has been taken to respect the great
simplicity and harmony of the existing buildings.
In agreement with the Foyer Bruxellois, the number of
studios and one bedroom flats has been reduced and the number of flats with
two, three and four bedrooms has been increased. This meant reducing the total
number of flats from 150 to 98 units.
The proposed changes also eliminate the private
entries on the side or at the back of certain buildings, which simplifies
checking who is entering and leaving the buildings.
In building C the suppression of the studios and their
private entrances makes of the stairwell- located in the connector between
building C and building D - an unnecessary space. The space is reused to create
bedrooms for the housings located at the rear of the building.
With a view to durable construction, an inexpensive
general solution has been developed that solves the problems of seepage,
thermal bridges, insufficient insulation and the aging of the concrete. This
solution consists of resurfacing the building with a continuous, watertight,
insulated surface, including a layer of thermal insulation protected by a
smooth, painted coating. This coating gives a warm visual aspect, that is much
more attractive than the current concrete.
This solution is combined with total renewal of the
joints in the current surfacing panels and systematically refastening the panels
to ensure stability of the surfacing while saving the energy, cost and nuisance
that would result from demolishing the panels.
Adding new wooden window frames in keeping with the
existing outline adds to the visual warmth of the building. The frames are
equipped with side drips to protect them from driving rain and to visually
emphasize the contrast in depth between the full and hollow surfaces.
The use of a smooth, painted coating corresponds to an
effort to keep the façades clean with minimum maintenance costs. This
corresponds to an old tradition that has apparently been abandoned for some
time in Belgium
in favour of rough surfaces that tend to soil rapidly.
Comfort in the flats is also improved by integrating
the area of the existing balconies in the living areas and providing a new,
large private outdoor area (3m x 3m x 3m). This also means that the size of the
sanitary facilities can be increased.
The other terraces alongside the living areas will
also be integrated into the building, and new terraces will be constructed on
independent structures as an extension of the building. If several small
apartments without terraces are grouped into one large apartment, a new terrace
will be erected.
These terraces are always put in near the living room
on the facades facing south/east or south/west. They improve the quality of
living of the inhabitants by allowing for activities that were not possible
previously, like eating outdoors for example, or letting the children play
outdoors without fear for their safety. They give the occupants an outdoor
living area and, in addition, the building is more pleasant from the outside
because they add liveliness to the facade.
This new outdoor area, in metal trellis or perforated
sheet can also be covered with suitable wood (to be confirmed) for optimal
living comfort. Four metal columns, that can be used for climbing plants such
as ivy, support the terraces.
Like a moucharaby, the use of trellis or perforated
sheet gives effective transparency from the inside looking out and opacity from
the outside looking in. The basic principle is that the lateral vision of the
buildings must remain possible.
The terraces are light gray in colour. White velum
could be used for the ceilings.
The overall approach to the facades, plus the added
terraces give a contemporary architectural expression, in which the changes are
clearly shown while they respect the existing, high quality architecture.