How should the renovation and transformation of 20th-century social housing be approached? Given the complexity of the issues, the subject requires a broader approach. The situation in the Brussels-Capital Region is alarming: in 2022, there were 40,500 social housing units, while more than 50,000 households were waiting for housing. The average waiting time for social housing is almost 12 years.
Numerous existing social housing buildings are at a turning point: the life cycle of various materials is coming to an end, the integration of housing into the urban fabric needs to be reviewed, the habitability and functionality of the buildings is inadequate, and a new approach to resident involvement is required.[1] In recent years, the Brussels Bouwmeester Maitre Architecte (BMA) organised over 30 competitions around these issues.
In 2020, for instance, there was a call where we announced several feasibility studies, including those for the large projects of De Roovere and Gandhi, which need a comprehensive vision. In 2021, in collaboration with Logement Molenbeekois, five different sites were grouped together in a single call to carry out a major renovation.
In 2022, BMA, in collaboration with CIVA and KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, organised a series of 3 debate evenings titled Changing Building, Changing Context, and Changing Tempo. Clients, designers and other stakeholders in the field discussed the specific challenges involved in renovating 20th-century social housing. These evenings deliberately took place in relevant locations where the subject was tangible, such as the nursery at the top of the tower on the Rue Haute and the social restaurant in Peterbos. The success of these debate evenings indicated a need to build on the knowledge already gathered.
The transcripts of the debate evenings, together with the results of the competitions and the work of KU Leuven students, were compiled in a publication titled Real Life Brussels: Transforming and Renovating Aging Social Housing. This guide is not intended as an academic work, but rather as a starting point to invite reflection. It does not offer any ready-made answers, but aims to highlight the complex interplay of factors and is, above all, a call to action.
Toward a Culture of Maintenance and Permanent Transformation
Social housing renovation is a kind of relay race with varying collaborations between contracting authorities, designers, contractors, residents, technical services, and maintenance teams. How can we ensure no one drops the baton? In Belgium, there is no strongly developed maintenance culture. We can see that in projects, where often only the most urgent issues are addressed as a function of the available resources, while other actions that will sooner or later prove necessary are postponed. The different parts of a building each have different life-spans. In theory, therefore, we should set ourselves up for a permanent transformation. Is a long-term renovation strategy for a single building or an ensemble then still the best option? How do we ensure that urgent repair works are addressed in the short term without compromising the longer-term ambition of a thorough transformation? How do we create a shared culture of prevention rather than cure among architects, owners, contractors, material producers, etc.?
Due to the scarcity on the social housing market, it is no longer possible to start every renovation project from a blank sheet. Wherever possible, renovation is best carried out while the building is still occupied. This means that interventions to increase the quality of life inside the flats are much less evident. And yet it is not an option to conveniently just insulate the envelope and replace the pipes and techniques, but remain blind to the structural interventions needed to address the habitability and comfort inside the flats. A new modus operandi is called for that combines the phased renovation of the envelope and “hardware” with customization and repair works for each flat with the intention of minimizing inconvenience to residents. This obviously requires a new organization of the site and close cooperation and coordination between contractor, architect, social services, and residents. Only by putting the resident at the center of the entire transformation process – from design to completion – can this new working method lead to quicker results.
Clearly, the task we face is no small one.[2] But we must realize that the transformation of the existing social housing stock can bring multiple benefits: a stable supply of affordable housing, a drastic reduction in CO2 emissions, and even fossil-free heating at neighborhood level. Compared to individual housing with its highly fragmented ownership, the renovation of social housing allows for critical mass and is therefore more efficient. Ultimately, the renovation of twentieth-century social housing in Brussels will make residents economically, socially, and sustainably stronger.
Text by Frederik Serroen and Tine Vandepaer.
Real Life Brussels: Transforming and Renovating Aging Social Housing is co-published by Spector Books, BMA Brussels, CIVA Brussels, KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture.
Editors: Harold Fallon, Nikolaus Hirsch, Sophie Laenen, Frederik Serroen, Tine Vandepaer.
Authors: Tom Avermaete, Harold Fallon, Nikolaus Hirsch, André Kempe, Jérôme Kockerols, Sophie Laenen, Frederik Serroen, Arian Schelstraete, Oliver Thill, Tine Vandepaer.
[1] Brussels Environment, “Strategie om de milieu-impact van bestaande gebouwen in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest tegen 2030-2050 te verminderen” (2020), https://leefmilieu.brussels/sites/default/files/user_files/strategie_om_de_milieu-impact_van_bestaande_gebouwen_in_het_brussels_hoofdstedelijk_gewest_tegen_2030-2050_te_verminderen.pdf. See also Groupe Caisse des Dépôts, “Logement social et transition énergétique: Étude sur la performance énergétique du secteur HLM” (July 2014), https://www.caissedesdepots.fr/fileadmin/PDF/Rapports_et_etudes/fonds_d_epargne/Eclairages_no5.pdf.
[2] European Commission, “Questions and Answers on the Renovation Wave” (14 October 2020), https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_1836. See also Future of the EU & Housing, “Decarbonisation of the EU Housing Stock Through Contextualised EU Climate Policies: A Housing Sector Perspective” (28 October 2021), https://www.housingeurope.eu/resource-1624/decarbonisation-of-the-eu-housing-stock-through-contextualised-eu-climate-policies. And also Fabrice Luyckx, “Analyse: Belgische woningen zijn oud en energie-inefficiënt,” Realo Insights (3 June 2022), https://www.realo.com/nl/insights/analyse-belgische-woningen-zijn-oud-en-energie-inefficient.