A Non-binary Ecology
Transformation of the former military site of Sart-Hulet, Namur (BE)
The former military site of Sart-Hulet in Namur, silently standing between contrasting opposites, offers the opportunity to experiment with a non-binary approach to the realm. The area clearly displays all the typical ambiguities of a peri-urban context: single family houses compounds, dependence on transportation, absence of centralities, unused sealed spaces, big abandoned post industrial buildings, fragmented communities and lack of spatial governance. The focus shifts to the neglected corners and the apparently informal elements: the edges of the fields, the abandoned lands after exploitation, the forgotten spaces between different properties or along the roads. All these micro spaces can become a substrate to sustain and support future uses and developments, and most of all, structure a more concious appropriation of the realm. This ‘third landscape’ gains a political and communitarian dimension: a territory for diversity, inclusivity and sharing. To enable a flexible and adaptable result, the definition of a set of rules and examples are preferred to a rigid and punctual design. The proposal is thus structured through guidelines: ‘Enhancement of the non-conforming’, ‘Zero Net land take’ and ‘Conscious domestication’.
Team: Celeste Tellarini + Riccardo Salomoni
Stage: Competition, Europan 16, first prize
Year: 2022