The project’s objectives
In order to cope with sustained population growth in the north-east quadrant of the Brussels Region and make more quality housing accessible to people in Brussels, the government of the Brussels-Capital Region is developing ten new districts, in response to demand for public- and private-sector housing and facilities. Josaphat is one of these districts.
Josaphat will be a whole new area of the city, a contemporary mixed district where a wide range of urban activities can come together and flourish without impeding one another.
Being a contemporary mixed district also implies being designed with future generations in mind. It must therefore be sparing of physical resources such as soil, air, water and energy. It must be sufficiently innovative and socially balanced to meet the needs of today’s inhabitants better than the traditional city. It must be recyclable and adaptable to future needs. And finally, it must hold on to a sufficiently rich and diversified natural element for the sake of the quality of urban life, both now and in the future. In short, it must be a sustainable district.
Based on these two objectives, the project is structured around an idea that sprang from the Josaphat site’s topographical configuration: Living and working in a park.