Kaai 24 is a collective housing project, focusing on a social mix and shared collective spaces within the building block. Three volumes encircle a communal courtyard. From a distance, the project appears as one cohesive whole, inscribing itself into the sequence of large-scale warehouses along the quay. Within the apparent unity though, each building acquires its own distinct character through a subtle play of proportions, textures and color shades.
site plan
© DBLV
ground floor plan
Kaai 24’s appearance balances between a residential and an industrial aesthetic. The central courtyard functions as a collective foyer, enclosed by the apartment blocks along the edge of the terrain. The three components each have their own plan logic, answering to their specific position, orientation and internal program – being either social housing, or private apartments for rent/sale.
typical floor plan
The entrance halls of the gallery apartments act as a sort of veranda or winter garden, allowing residents to play with the boundary between collective and private. There is a wide variety of types, with attention also given to wheelchair-accessible housing.
A collective
multipurpose space adorns the roof of one of the buildings as an architectural
parasite. This ‘roof chamber’ forms the capstone of Kaai 24’s social ambitions.
It is omnidirectional as well, simultaneously opening up towards the immediate
neighbourhood, the water, the Harbor and the city of Ghent in the distance.
Program: 72 residential units and underground parking
Location: Ghent
Procedure: Competition
Client: Sogent
Surface: 4.150 m²
Landscape design: Kris Coremans (ssa/xx)
Structural engineer: Sileghem & Partners
Technical engineer: Boydens, part of Sweco
Photography: Filip Dujardin