What is it about?
The Property Management Agency of the City of Brussels plans to build 8 social housing-equivalent units near the Place du Jeu de Balle.
This project forms part of the Marolles sustainable district contract (2018-2026), a joint initiative of the Brussels-Capital Region and the City of Brussels aimed at improving the quality of life in neighbourhoods through the redevelopment of public spaces, the development of real estate projects, and the support of socio-economic initiatives.
Along the Rue Haute, the plots concerned by the project are currently characterised by a fragmented and deteriorated street frontage. The interior of the block also presents a poor-quality configuration, marked by the presence of a car park and a high building density.
To address these issues, the City of Brussels plans to construct a new three-storey building along the Rue Haute. This intervention will restore the continuity of the street frontage and reactivate a ground-floor passage leading to the interior of the block. The building will accommodate 5 social-equivalent housing units. A second building will also be constructed at the rear of the site, providing 3 additional housing units.
The interior of the block will also be redeveloped to allow neighbourhood residents to access the sports hall of the Baron Louis Steens School through a newly created reception area. Access points to the sports hall and the housing units will be separate and clearly identifiable. A new playground will also be created to enhance the attractiveness and vitality of the site.
The project is part of an ambitious sustainability strategy and aims to achieve an energy performance level exceeding current regulatory requirements. It includes photovoltaic panels, a rainwater harvesting system, and an optimised building design intended to improve energy efficiency, enhance occupant comfort, and reduce the building's environmental footprint.
What purpose?
- To guarantee affordable housing for all
- To support a regional obligation establishing a minimum percentage of social housing and similar units per municipality
- To streamline the management and use of communal sites by applying the concept of 'chrono-urbanism'
- To encourage the recentralisation of the city's facilities and services within multi-purpose, shared neighbourhood facility hubs
- To address the shortage of play areas
- To transform municipal and public buildings into key players in improving the urban climate
