Greenbizz

Brussel
2023

Stacked urban manufacturing

In the Brussels canal zone, on a challenging corner plot, the regional developer citydev.brussels is planning a large-scale programme of urban manufacturing. The maths is simple: the only way to reconcile the programme with the site is through stacking. Furthermore, the building will feature an underground car park and must be capable of being converted in the future into a residential building offering a variety of housing types. The functional, structural and building services challenges are therefore considerable.

To untangle this knot, ATAMA proposes starting by creating a large garden. This offers the best guarantee of quality in both working and living. Along the garden, in the curve of the site, the commercial units and homes are stacked. From an urban planning perspective, this works well. The building creates a high-quality corner in the city and maintains maximum distance from the existing residential area. Amidst the urbanised context, the garden is a cool, hidden oasis. The logistical movements, on the ground floor and upper floors, were simulated in detail, with the structure and MEP organised logically.

Constructed from reused materials or demountable elements, the project achieves an exceptionally high circularity score. An industrial ruin serving as a housing reserve or materials bank for the city.

A business now, A house later

A business now, A house later

Over time, industrial buildings have proven that they can be successfully repurposed to accommodate other uses. ‘Lofts’ are a good example. This is no longer the case for many contemporary commercial buildings, which are little more than blank boxes in out-of-the-way locations.

However, if we bring manufacturing back into the city, opportunities arise. Moreover, if we start to stack industrial functions, a critical density is created that allows us to think even further ahead – towards a residential second life – should the businesses cease their activities.

The project is the result of a thorough analysis of how urban, industrial spaces can be easily transformed into high-quality housing.