Social housing neighbourhood renovation

Zonnige Kempen undertook the renovation of the Vinkenhof neighbourhood in Berlaar to improve the quality of social housing while integrating circular construction principles. The project focuses on retaining and reusing as much of the existing building fabric as possible. The renovation was piloted on two homes before scaling up to 52 houses, allowing lessons to be learned on minimising demolition and optimising material reuse. Mutual consultation with architects and the construction team was central to ensuring circularity in design and execution. The project demonstrates how social housing can be upgraded sustainably, preserving embedded energy, reducing CO2 emissions, and creating a vibrant, liveable environment for tenants.