We’ve secured a great new project in Mortsel, a municipality in the south east of the city of Antwerp. Team Ciril convinced the jury with a progressive development that will create a sustainable, green and pleasant area for residential accommodation and recreation in Mortsel – both now and in the future.

Intelligent use of space for housing and green areas

Specifically, we’re developing a new project on Sint-Benedictusstraat in the heart of Mortsel. Until recently, this site was home to municipal services, but space has now become available for new housing and recreation areas. The new project will include 51 apartments, 12 houses, 8 social apartments, a commercial area, lots of bicycle racks and ample underground parking. We distinguished ourselves in the tendering phase with a multi-faceted project that combines a variety of housing with extensive green areas: 

“The building work is very compact, leaving plenty of room for a large area of greenery, so we’re creating a public park that will greatly benefit residents and visitors alike. There will also be a semi-public zone between the buildings with a partially covered ‘market place’, turning this housing project into a very vibrant and welcome addition to Mortsel!” – Nathalie Bisschops, Acquisition & Sales Director for Ciril

Sustainable asset

The new project is sustainable in the broadest sense of the word. On the one hand because the building is so compact that its footprint is very limited, leaving lots of room for greenery and permeable ground. And on the other hand it will also become a pedestrian-only zone: all vehicles, including those belonging to residents, will be directed to the underground parking site entrance. 

As the project developer, we’re taking our responsibility very seriously: it’s our societal role to work in a sustainable way and build units that are fit for the future. This is reflected in our design and construction work, which then permeates further in all aspects of the project: sustainable materials, innovative techniques and technology, and circular principles.

Together with residents and the neighbourhood

A communal green outdoor area will connect the residential units together, and a shared laundry room, bicycle repair zone and indoor space will also help to create a sense of community among the residents. One of the project’s neighbours is ‘Kaleidoscoop’, a popular cultural space with 20 artists’ studios and a hall for organising exhibitions, shows and other activities. We’re purposefully creating an extension of this vibrant neighbourhood dynamic with our housing project.

Sale

The contracts are currently being finalised, and then we’ll refine the design further so that we can work towards completing a building application dossier by the summer 2022. We’ll also stay in close communication with the neighbourhood so that we can achieve a project that everyone can fully get behind.