The project reconfigures the Lageweg area in Hoboken, Antwerp, addressing the limitations imposed by its industrial, monofunctional character and rigid boundaries on qualitative public space and social interaction. It operates on vacant factory sites, building upon their existing material, cultural, and social assets. The design looks at the existing fabric as the primary point of departure, examined through surveys and on-site investigations, with its formal and compositional intricacies serving as the operative framework for intervention.

The masterplan, developed collaboratively, offers an alternative to tabula rasa demolition by enhancing accessibility, preserving industrial identity, and diversifying programs. The design repurposes an industrial laundry, now a primary school, and establishes a formal and functional connection to new housing through shared facilities that activate interaction among residents, youth, and the broader community, positioning the school as a catalyst for local integration. ... Read more