Design firm: MAKER Architecten
Project name: Urban infill project for social housing
Location: Kortrijk, Belgium
Size: 3685 sqm

In Kortrijk, Maker Architecten has carried out a targeted regeneration project within a compact block of terraced houses that preserves the historic character of the neighbourhood and adheres to the principles of the circular economy. The project consists of a series of interventions resulting in the creation of 31 new social housing units of various types, ranging from terraced houses to multi-storey buildings. The new structures engage with the existing buildings through their materials and colours thanks to the careful and selective reuse of historic bricks salvaged from renovations. These bricks have been repurposed as cladding or fill for the metal gabions that outline the property. While the project is guided by continuity with the past, attention to the future is equally important: the use of a hybrid mortar allows components to be easily disassembled and reused at the end of their life cycle.