NINOVE MASTERPLAN
NINOVE MASTERPLAN
A system - the process is the vision
Year → 2022
Status → Closed competition
Team → de baes architects, clement blanchet architecture, Taktyk Paris
Our plan is to build a new city center for Ninove that capitalizes on its strengths and becomes a regional hub, ensuring a sustainable future. By collaborating with stakeholders and leveraging the AC site, our aim is to build a new city center for Ninove that capitalizes on its strengths and becomes a regional hub, ensuring a sustainable future. While Ninove has untapped potential with its connectivity and urban structure, the current car-oriented and parking-focused development is not sustainable in the long term. Our proposal is to embrace the benefits of cars and urbanization while centering them around a unique public space that fosters a sense of identity and encourages residents to stay.
Where is the green?
The AC site has the potential to become an anchor of the urban fabric, linking Ninove Centre and the Dender river, and creating a town center that organizes the surrounding district into a coherent whole. Its proximity to other urban assets, such as Ninove Centre, a major bus station providing access to various parts of the city, makes it even more attractive. However, the Centrumlaan, an important commercial artery serving Ninove, is car-oriented and discourages sustainable transport options like cycling and walking. We propose to address this by incorporating more pedestrian and green spaces into the urban fabric, creating a relationship with nature and giving the city back to its people.
Furthermore, the AC site turns its back on the Dender river, which offers a great opportunity to create a public green space that the city needs. By designing the site as an inviting public space activated by mixed programs, including urban services, it can become a naturally populated and vibrant addition to the urban fabric.
Transforming the AC Site
The AC site presents a unique opportunity to create a vibrant and cohesive public realm that attracts diverse user groups throughout the day. To achieve this, the site needs to transform from inward-facing to outward-facing. As a key node in Ninove's transit network and in close proximity to green spaces, pedestrian areas, and urban services, our proposal aims to connect these currently disconnected areas with the city center. By revamping the existing administrative center's courtyards, we can create a thread that links the water landscape, recreational facilities, and the city center, while extending the pedestrian experience from the north. Our sustainable approach involves reusing as much of the existing building stock as possible by integrating modular volumes on top or next to them, preserving the site's history and promoting a sustainable future for Ninove
v1: Innovative Architectural Design: Pioneering the Future of Spaces
v2: Preserving Heritage, Embracing Sustainability
We propose to retain as much of the existing building stock as possible and integrate it into the new design. The modular volumes will be placed on top or next to the existing structures, creating a harmonious blend of old and new. This approach not only preserves the character of the site, but also reduces waste and carbon emissions associated with demolition and reconstruction.
Our design also prioritizes the creation of green spaces, which are essential for a sustainable and healthy environment. The modular grid system enables us to create pockets of greenery throughout the site, connecting the existing park to the north with the water features and recreational areas to the south. We envision the central courtyard as a green oasis in the heart of the city, inviting visitors to linger, relax and enjoy the surroundings.
Landscape as a driving force
Our proposal for the riparian area is to create a versatile open space that serves as both a recreational area and a permeable buffer against flooding, while adapting to the changing seasons.
Active landscapes
Well-designed landscapes are not just static elements, but active, functional components that contribute to a cohesive environment. We believe that greenery is a positive force that can enhance its surroundings. To activate the area, we plan to integrate various recreational landscapes for use by residents, visitors, and passers-by. Our proposal includes a mix of outdoor functions such as sports fields, pathways for through traffic, water features, and scenic routes, supported by necessary amenities like pavilions and rest areas. By incorporating these elements, we create a lively mix of outdoor functions that bring the area to life.
Landscape and building blur
To maximize development opportunities while preserving green space, we propose an architectural strategy that treats housing as a porous layer of smaller structures woven into a network of landscapes. This approach allows landscape and buildings to blur, resulting in a seamless integration of built and natural elements. We draw inspiration from the Avelghe masterplan, which dissolves closed residential blocks into clusters of smaller, flexible structures interwoven with public spaces.
Transformative Urban Planning
We propose creating adaptable open spaces in the riparian area that serve as recreational areas and a buffer against flooding. Our plan includes a mix of outdoor functions supported by necessary amenities, such as sports fields, pathways, and rest areas. To maximize development opportunities without sacrificing green space, we propose a housing strategy that integrates smaller structures with public spaces. We also suggest using renewable energy sources and sustainable transport infrastructure.
For urban spaces, we propose utilizing interstitial spaces between buildings to incorporate microprograms and design elements that encourage active use. Our grid approach to design fills unused open spaces with interventions that follow four principles: (1) provide access for all, (2) build in diversity, (3) encourage sociability, and (4) provide comfort. Sustainable transport infrastructure will make these spaces more accessible, creating a buffer between buildings and the street and generating social interaction.