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Client(s)DIFF
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Construction siteMechelen
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Project architectCaro Vermeiren
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Architect teamMarie Demeulenaere
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Year2024-
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StatusDesign
A new residential concept in harmony with nature and urban development
Located within RUP Ragheno, building block 6d(A), this project features a refined composition of 41 multi-family residences, a commercial space, and an underground parking facility. The design merges urban quality with a green living environment, placing the relationship between architecture and landscape at its core.
The layout is anchored by a prominent main structure along the street, complemented by two transverse volumes that collectively embrace a welcoming, medium-sized communal green space. On the northeastern side, the project transitions into a more organic, natural green chamber, seamlessly integrating infiltration zones and extending the existing woodland into the design.
The transverse volumes extend nearly into the forest, allowing greenery to visually and physically penetrate the interior spaces. This blurred edge emphasizes the gradual transition between built structures and the forest park area, with subtly elevated volumes creating a harmonious interweaving of the existing landscape and the new urban development. The result is a modest residential boundary, carefully articulated from the surrounding public domain.
Architecturally, the design is characterized by a rigid grid that lends the façades a timeless and structured aesthetic. On the typical floors, the piers are clad in brick masonry, while the ground floor distinguishes itself with architectural concrete. This grid elegantly incorporates all entrances, commercial openings, and shared functions, while strategically breaking at broader axes to highlight living spaces and visually segment the building block.
On the southeastern side, understated rooftop extensions, set back from the street line, ensure that the base retains its dominant presence along the street frontage. The entrance zones, each with its own scale and identity, provide a unique expression to the plinth and reinforce the human scale.
This project embodies a sustainable and contextual vision, where urban sophistication and landscape integration converge to redefine modern living.
