Communities along the forest edge

  • Project:

    Social housing Sledderlo

  • Client:

    Wonen in Limburg

  • Projectcode:

    1915SLO / 1337SLO / 1102SLO / 0946SLO /

  • Designers:

    LAVA architecten - ZED Architects

  • Site:

    Sledderlo, Genk

  • Landscape:

    Basil Descheemaeker

  • Structural engineering:

    AB Associates

  • Technical systems:

    TDE Energiestudies / JC Engineering

  • Site development:

    Antea Group / ARA

  • Photographer:

    Michael De Lausnay

The Nieuw-Sledderlo neighborhood is located a few kilometers from the center of Genk. The city administration took the initiative to explore future possibilities for the incomplete satellite city and its surroundings. These projects mark the first tangible architectural achievements within the broader master plan “LO2020 Sledderlo,” developed by BUUR. The partnership LAVA/ZED Architecten aims to achieve high-quality architecture within the constraints of VMSW guidelines and limited resources.

This is a post-war social housing project, characterized by elements of a garden neighborhood, a forest community, and a sustainable energy district. The area is an enclave within the forest, raising the question of how the forest can be shared and utilized: which parts are public, collective, or private? How can various activities find their place here?

The architecture is designed with a socio-spatial perspective, focusing on the residents. The vision seeks to actively shape community life, a concept we call “neighborhood-tecture”: architecture that does not impose itself but subtly integrates with the environ-ment and the needs of its residents.

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