Group Maes’ inner-city industrial site is being transformed into a mixed residential and working environment as part of a ‘brownfield covenant’. The residential area comprises approximately 230 homes spread over nine buildings. The Flemish government introduced these convenants to transform and revitalise so-called brownfields. The project is highly focused on liveliness and diversity. A broad housing range was developed with a variety of single-family, multi-family and townhouses. Within the master plan, the residential environment will be completely car-free.
Housing is organised around public residential green spaces, collective inner areas and private gardens. The LUX project was carried out in two consecutive phases, with the residential buildings being split into two clusters implanted in a green public parc. Besides the architectural appeal that manifests itself in the composition and design of the buildings and landscape, the site’s water management is also addressed. Several infiltration basins were implemented in the landscaping to allow all excess rainwater falling on the site to infiltrate directly and naturally into the soil. This is both for the rainwater that falls on private property and what falls on public domain.
There is a zone of public domain between the residential part of the development and the commercial part of the site. On this public domain, a bicycle axis will be constructed in addition to a public park. This bicycle axis forms part of a supra-local bicycle infrastructure in Ghent, the green climate axes, and connects the ‘De Pintelaan’ with the river Scheldt.