STW0071 – GANSHOREN - Villas of Ganshoren
design: redevelopment of the open space around the villas of Ganshoren
client: Municipality of Ganshoren
designteam urbanism and landscape: Studio Thomas Willemse + Emilie Bechet - collaborator: Bram Vidts
urbanism and architecture: Baumans-Deffet
stability en technical development: Evolta
period: 2025
NL / EN
In Ganshoren, the challenges of climate, mobility, and social connection are addressed with an innovative and integrated perspective. The design is guided by the natural flows of the neighbourhood: water, ecology, and the daily lives of its residents. Two new micro-valleys capture rainwater, slow it down, and allow it to infiltrate the soil. This happens through green “pearls” — ecological stepping stones that stimulate biodiversity and help prevent flooding.
Walking and cycling routes follow the informal paths already used by residents, and are restructured into a clear village axis and a loop that connect with each other. This creates a cohesive network linking facilities such as the youth centre, the sports hall, and the football field. The open space becomes active and livable.
By transforming paved surfaces into natural zones, space is created for experience, tranquillity, and biodiversity. Water basins, swales, and reed ponds provide not only ecological value but also enhance the quality of life and resilience of the neighbourhood.
Eco-tunnels connect the neighbourhood with the surrounding Ganshoren Marsh, allowing safe passage for animals. A carefully considered landscape management approach — simple, thoughtful, and extensive — supports this vision. Through pilot projects, residents gradually become familiar with this ecologically valuable approach.
The social housing district becomes a neighbourhood that flows with its landscape, its people, and its future.