Blanche Housing explores a new way of living in the city, where architecture, social innovation, and environmental transition are conceived as an integrated whole.
Located within the dense urban fabric of Brussels, this experimental project brings together thirteen housing units of diverse and adaptable typologies. Some units can be combined to create kangaroo housing arrangements, allowing them to evolve alongside changing lifestyles and family structures. At ground level, a generous through-passage connects the street to a shared ground-level garden while providing access to communal spaces and a large facility dedicated to bicycles and sustainable mobility. Opening directly onto the garden, the “Oases” offer residents an additional independent room that can be freely appropriated as a home office, workshop, fitness room, relaxation area, or playroom.
The environmental strategy is at the core of the Blanche Housing project. A timber superstructure, the use of ultra-low-carbon and reclaimed materials, a highly efficient building envelope, and a bioclimatic design approach all contribute to reducing energy demand from the outset. Heat pumps, double-flow ventilation with heat recovery, and photovoltaic panels complement this strategy, while integrated rainwater management and extensive landscaping help recreate a true green heart within the interior of the urban block.
Blanche Housing therefore views sustainability as a guiding design principle, capable of simultaneously shaping architecture, supporting diverse uses, and fostering new forms of collective living.
