Dense but Green – Living at the countryside in Belgium

A project by Lea Schwab and Eva Hoppmanns

Integrated Project I – Living at the countryside

Lecturers: Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher and Fabio Bayro Kaiser

winter semester 2019/20

The city of Herbesthal has a special location in Belgium. Due to its proximity to Germany and the Netherlands, it developed into a multinational place that went through different administrative phases. This long history and the dislocation of its borders have caused the existence of multiple identities. This project focusses on the French – German cohesion by strengthening existing connections. Furthermore, Herbesthal faces the issue of a strongly growing Belgian population from which results an increasing demand of housing. This development generates an unsustainable urban sprawl in small towns in form of single unit houses with gardens. If this trend continues, Belgium will be overbuilt, and most areas will be sealed soon.

With our project we trigger the problematic of urban sprawl and provide a green but dense form of living and working. Therefore, the project fosters the following principles: sustainable and shared energy systems and sustainable water supply, redensification of existing structures, courtyards with mixed uses and common green spaces as well as sustainable mobility networks.