type
Masterplan and participatory process
Context
The municipality of Waterloo has a privileged geographical location near Brussels. Its territory has been progressively transformed by urbanization with a multiplication of 4-facade villas. The result of this urban sprawl is to be seen in the many problems of individual mobility. The municipality must today rethink the development of its territory with a view to sparing use of soil, compact urbanization to preserve open spaces and habitat typology favoring the use of soft mobility. This is particularly the case near public transport hubs. The project site is located in the vicinity of Waterloo Station at the intersection of Chaussée Bara and the RER line, in the Chenois district.
Mission
The mission consists in carrying out a Masterplan on the basis of a participative process carried out with the inhabitants of the Chenois district. This participatory process is based on a comprehensive urban study, the multiplication of meetings of local and supralocal stakeholders, exchange meetings, an online survey and thematic workshops. On the basis of this participatory process, the masterplan has constantly evolved in the logic of an iterative process fed into by the contributions of the inhabitants and the stakeholders met.
Approach
The approach consisted in listening to local residents by organizing numerous workshops allowing a detailed understanding of the context of the project. Contrary to a top-down strategy where projects are sometimes parachuted without consultation with the locals, we favoured a bottom-up approach in order to meet the formulated expectations while ensuring the development of a economically viable project. This approach resulted in a Masterplan in which the compact layout of the buildings frees up a large open space at the heart of the site. This highlights the historic building of the Château de la Rose and creates an inhabited park of around 1.3 hectares open to the neighbourhood. The project offers a variety of housing typologies to accommodate many different audiences. Part of the site being already partially built, the project is particularly sensitive to its direct context to avoid the effects of urban breaks. It aims to weave the project with the existing one with a view to extending the conviviality and quality of life of the Chenois district.