Europan 5 - La Louvière, Belgium

Topati architects: Chevalley Longchamp Russbach architectes (CH), Denninger Scholz architecten (D), Eggs architects T. Haramura (J)

Client: Le Foyer Louvièrois and the city of La Louvière

The first stage of the residential park in La Louvière by Topati architects is completed. It includes one residential island of 10 dwellings. The next islands with a total of 38 dwellings are planned in several stages between end of 2005 and 2008.

On a natural site of wasteland in a peripheral area of La Louvière, the winners of Europan 5 competition have developed a low density concept with residential “islands” of 10 dwellings grouped in residential units around communal spaces and facilities (square, car-park, gardens). This approach makes it possible to concentrate construction and prevent sprawl.

The park between the “islands” is left in its natural condition and remains dominant. The prize-winning urban project idea has been kept with some adjustments, though architectural simplifications have been imposed in order to adapt it to council housing standards, particularly with regard to the diversity of materials, which have been reduced to brick and Eternit. This intermediary space, which is neither dense nor dispersed city, combines built-up urban spaces with a vast area of countryside left free to fulfil multiple functions, from miscellaneous gatherings to solitary walks.

Europan 4 - Innsbruck, Austria

Frötscher, Lichtenwagner architects: Willi Frötscher and Christian Lichtenwagner

Client: Innsbrucker Immobilien GmbH and Co KEG, City of Innsbruck

The tower of housing and activities designed by Willi Frötscher and Christian Lichtenwagner will be completed at the beginning of the year 2006.

On the site of the old Olympic village, which was used subsequently to provide housing for 8000 people in Innsbuck, Europan 4 winners propose a unity generated by a single new building and a clearly defined square. The building's compactness creates a sense of design and its plain shell is divided into distinct parts with a nursery, performance centre and retirement home, public institutions and housing. The square with its underground car park is designed as a living platform for social interaction.

During urban studies, the architects have to introduce some modifications to the programme: car park capacity increased, housing separated from activities, housing for the elderly rather than a retirement home, separation of private and public operations. The incorporation of these requirements doesn't change fundamentally the morphology of the original project. The horizontal part of 2 floors accommodates all the public functions and delineates a central urban space. The tower, a long-drawn incision in its environment, is given over to dual-aspect housing units with panoramic views over the landscape.

Europan 3 - Haarlem, The Netherlands

Higgs Young architects: Gaby Higgs, Gary Young

Client: T Sant then De Woonmaatschappij and the city of Haarlem

The total scheme of 46 houses for rent on 3 or 4 floors with terrace or ground-floor workshops, of 43 apartments for over 55 years and 106 parking spaces had been completed in July 2005 in Haarlem by Gary Young and Gaby Higgs.

On a former site of chemicals plant in the south of the city, the Europan 3 winners have proposed a green space surrounded by mixed constructions with ground-floor shops, offices or workshops beneath residential apartments. The design includes an ecological dimension to optimise the climatic advantages through the geographical aspect of the buildings.

A certain number of changes were made to the project: elevation of the garden to accommodate more parking spaces; suppression of the verandas and roof-terraces to match social housing standards and costs. Nevertheless, ecological principles were retained by various means, such as increasing the size of the southern window bays. The obligation to decontaminate the site has delayed the process and it took 5 years to obtain the funds required.

The final result is fairly close to the original project: the semi-public central garden retains its shape. The buildings along the canal and the river are designed in brick and wood, and interspersed with vertical blocks to match the scale of the existing houses.