The Villardell housing project is situated in Genk, is bordered by a green edge to the north, and with a notable elevation difference of approximately 12.5 meters across the site offers a unique vantage point overlooking the city center. With the north side facing the city, the façade has been designed to be a prominent new feature in the city’s skyline, emphasizing its significance.
At the core of the project lies a green inner area, which serves as a semi-public park zone, acting as the main artery of the project. This space is anchored by a public square near St. Martinus Church and the nearby roundabout, which serves as a link between the new development and its surroundings, while also acting as a visual endpoint from Berglaan.
The project is organised into a segmented building structure composed of two strips with varying volumes, ranging from two to four floors, with occasional accents reaching up to six floors. By placing the lower volumes at the front of the site and the taller ones towards the back, the inner park zone becomes more accessible and better integrated with the city.
A continuous canopy ties the various brick building volumes together, serving as a unifying thread throughout the project. The accesses to the buildings are located around the green inner area, with the primary vertical circulation for the main structures located on the north side, featuring open staircases that offer views over the city.
To enhance the connection with the city, and to better integrate the green edge between the city and the project, two new pedestrian passages are integrated in the design offering unique viewpoints.
