The former glass factory is located in the Brussels Forest municipality on the south-west border of the city. The area is characterised by a mix of different 20th century housing and industry projects. Due to its proximity to the Kanal Charleroi, the Forest municipality urba- nised extremely fast during the first half of the 20th century, but the industry left after the 1960’s. Today Forest is facing post industrial problems in lower Forest and expat gentrification in upper Forest. The bouwmeester maître architecte initiated a competition to rethink the industrial site for social housing with additional activities and community aspects. Since 2020 the site is squatted by a group of around 80 people of whom 40 live on site. Besides housing the squat offers space to a wide range of different social initiatives. They run metal and wood workshops, ateliers, clothing and food supply for people in need, music studios, dance studios, bike repair, cultural events and more. Squatting is a common practice in Brussels, where the pressure on the housing market becomes increasingly critical. The waiting list for social housing in the Brussels region has reached 51.000 households with an average waiting time of 10 to 15 years. In the whole of Belgium the waiting list counts 170.000 households. 

The Verrerie is blending into residential housing blocks in the east and relating to indust- rial buildings in the south-west, which are going to be developed soon. The site is facing two streets on opposite sides of the block and consists of several industrial structures from different periods, ranging from the 60’s to the 90’s. All structures have their own inner logic and stand seemingly independent next to each other. They collide in the centre of the plot, resulting in a variety of unplanned spaces. Carving out similar openings into more parts of the structure, produces new spaces, volumes and depaved soil.

To keep large parts of the structure, while taking away floors and ceilings, thermal bridges become a problem when entire beams go from the inside to the outside of the facade. Bel- gium regulations foresee a lengthening of the thermal path by 1m. Fire regulations require a 1m vertical distance between each level to prevent fire flashovers from glazed window elements. The thermal and fire regulations are translated into a characterising architectural elements for the project. A belt of 1m wrapped around each level of the building structures the facade. The new ther- mal knot erects horizontally out of the belt, covering the beam with insulation and lengthe- ning the thermal path. Fibrecement panels and reused wood cladding are the main facade elements. The horizontal wooden facade of the ground floor, the base, develops vertically in particular parts of the building volume and structures it. Tilted fibirecement panels cover the belt with an exposed construction, which overlaps the tall glazed window elements, hides the external sun protection and appears almost ornamental from inside of the apartment.