Social Housing Luchtbal

The project along the Generaal Simondslaan reimagines a fragmented block in Luchtbal as a coherent urban ensemble in which demolition and reconstruction give rise to a layered and future-oriented residential fabric. Commissioned by Woonhaven Antwerpen, and designed by Areal Architecten in collaboration with Tom Thys Architecten and Aad Landscape Architects, the proposal realises 185 dwellings arranged around a series of generous courtyard spaces. The removal of existing garage boxes and ancillary structures opens the site to a refined morphology in which new volumes respond to the scale of the surrounding streets while opening inward to light, air, and collectivity. A network of passages and transversal axes enhances the porosity of the block, while the landscaped courtyards provide a soft ecological underlay that anchors living quality. The architecture balances robust perimeter façades with more delicate courtyard fronts, forming a contemporary urban fragment where density, spatial generosity, and social sustainability converge.