Brave new world
Installing 21st-century technology amid cities with protected medieval architecture is often complicated and expensive. But in Antwerp’s Nieuw Zuid (New South), a developing district in what’s currently a largely vacant area, the city can create an environmentally friendly neighbourhood entirely from scratch. Construction will begin this year on a mixed residential community that includes housing, parks, businesses, schools and sports facilities.
Antwerp’s Nieuw Zuid is a brand new residential community in a disused district
The 15-year project covers 70 hectares, or about 140 football fields, and is just below the current Zuid district, starting from Namenstraat, extending south to the Ring motorway, going east to Brusselstraat and west to the Scheldt quays. This is the same area where the annual Laundry Day music festival is held (and will be again in September).
Large-scale
Since the transhipment industry left the area in the 1960s, the site has been mostly deserted, though the recently constructed courthouse on the Bolivarplaats is one step in the community’s revival.
The city expects a significant increase in new residents within the next 10 to 15 years, so developments like Nieuw Zuid are necessary, says Sandra Lintermans, project director for the City of Antwerp.
“A neighbourhood with 2,000 new dwellings is very unique in Flanders,” she says, “so it’s on such a large scale that you can change things, like adding an ecological central heating system, which we don’t have in other parts of Antwerp, and an efficient water scheme.”
Instead of multiple gas installations, Nieuw Zuid will have one system to heat the entire area, which is not only good for the environment, it should also save residents money since it is highly energy efficient. This type of system is used in Sweden, which is ranked as one of the world’s most environmentally friendly countries. While it’s a central installation, each person will have settings to control the room temperature.
The city wants this area to be in line with the European 2050 climate targets for carbon neutrality, or lowering the carbon footprint to offset other carbon emissions from energy, transport and so on. Along with sustainable water and energy management, Nieuw Zuid will focus on pedestrians and bicyclists with parking underground.
Nieuw Zuid’s landscape design is also environmentally oriented. The city wants the district to be “rainwater neutral”. This means that rainwater will be collected in a system to benefit plant life rather than be lost as it falls onto buildings and streets. Much of the vegetation used in the design is native to the area, which will contribute to the ecological design.
Green space
“The new neighbourhood is not adjacent to a green space but is actually built within a park structure,” explains Bas Smets, the Brussels-based landscape architect chosen for this project. A park of about 15 hectares will connect to other green spaces leading to the Scheldt river and the popular ’t Zuid district.
Apartment terraces will also provide an outdoor space that actually adjusts with the weather. “The terraces will have a system where you can either have it open or enclose it with glass if there is a lot of wind,” explains Sam De Maeyer of Attis, a developer assisting with the site. “If there’s sun, but it’s still cold, you can close it and stay warm.”
Another way the New South is distinct from other parts of Antwerp is the fact that there will be eight buildings that are 60 to 80 metres high, which will provide more housing. This means the underground parking is even more essential to keep the streets free for pedestrians, says Lintermans.
Best of both worlds
The buildings in Nieuw Zuid will have both large and small residences, with one to four bedrooms so that families with children, singles and seniors can all share the space. Views of the Scheldt are normally fairly expensive in Antwerp, but Nieuw Zuid will provide less pricey options.
“One of the biggest advantages of this area is that it’s like you live outside the city,” says De Maeyer. “But you also live in the city, with a 200 metre walk to ’t Zuid, and you’re close to the motorway.” The on-going project to renovate the Scheldt quays will also allow a tramway to go along the quay and continue into Nieuw Zuid.
The first stage will begin with construction from the northernmost point and continue to the south so this new district is directly connected to the city. Developers plan to build the housing, green spaces and other public facilities together to make Nieuw Zuid immediately feel like a community rather than just a residential area.
