The once striving inner cores of our building blocks used to be a place where working and living happened side by side. Now small industries are pushed outside the city borders. A mechanism that unconsciously promotes the gentrification of the city. These former working parcels are abandoned and are to be subdue to the high redevelopment pressure of profit-centered tendencies, often leading to a monofunctional dwelling project. Furthermore, we can also perceive a reduction of scale in ownership as a result of the so called ‘appartementisering’. All tendencies that could be questioned. Are we facing an evolution towards ‘sleeping cities’?
Is it possible to recombine dwelling and working in a relationship where they both can profit? Are there inclusive alternatives possible, so that everyone can work and be at home in the city? Are there alternative schemes for the future of the building block, are CLT’s and Cooperatives a possible answer and how can working spaces be integrated in this model?
Is living and working destined to be autonomous functions excising apart from each other or are there possibilities in where they could be intertwined, even profiting from each other? Is there a future for the ‘productive’ city?
Can we work where we live?
Can we reactivate the inner core of our ‘building blocks’?
Can we reactivate the plinth of our city?
A lot of questions that can’t be answered with unambiguous solutions. This research doesn’t search for ‘the answer’ but for alternative possibilities in the redevelopment of our building blocks.
Pieter-Jan Vandenwijngaert
Is it possible to recombine dwelling and working in a relationship where they both can profit? Are there inclusive alternatives possible, so that everyone can work and be at home in the city? Are there alternative schemes for the future of the building block, are CLT’s and Cooperatives a possible answer and how can working spaces be integrated in this model?
Is living and working destined to be autonomous functions excising apart from each other or are there possibilities in where they could be intertwined, even profiting from each other? Is there a future for the ‘productive’ city?
Can we work where we live?
Can we reactivate the inner core of our ‘building blocks’?
Can we reactivate the plinth of our city?
A lot of questions that can’t be answered with unambiguous solutions. This research doesn’t search for ‘the answer’ but for alternative possibilities in the redevelopment of our building blocks.
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| Building block in between the ring road of Leuven, Naamsestraat and the Sint-Kwintenskerk. This amorphous building block contains the former 'wasserij' de Lelie and will serve as a case study for the research in combining dwelling & working. |
Pieter-Jan Vandenwijngaert
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