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Compleks

Mixed co-housing to fight social isolation


Continuing pressure on the housing market, (mental) health care and the climate crisis can (and must) be tackled jointly. Stichting 'Compleks' wants to instigate a change in the housing sector through advice, social project development and by representing the voice of the new generation.



Stichting 'Compleks' is a residents' initiative and expert in the field of mixed housing.

Due to their interest in social housing projects, they quickly realised that mixed co-housing projects are not the norm, so they decided to get it off the ground themselves. Mixed living is a form of housing in which residents make the conscious choice to live together with vulnerable target groups, such as ex-homeless people, status holders, the elderly, or others who want to live independently from a care institution.

Compleks helps the housing sector with a new vision on mixed housing projects. In which people live independently, but not in anonymity, with each other. According to Compleks, a successful mixed housing project has the following ingredients: a good balance between space for meeting, a mix of target groups, flexible housing and the use of sustainable materials. According to Compleks, the housing project of the future therefore consists of modular houses made of wood, where communal areas are an extension of personal living space. It is also essential to involve future residents, people and initiatives from the neighbourhood and stakeholders in the design process to create more ownership.


Rhonedreef 40.

The test location is an underused plot in Utrecht Overvecht, at Rhonedreef 40. A place where the neighbourhood comes together, but where there is also room for innovation. With this case study we show that this place can retain and even expand its function as the heart of the district. Room for the individual, and for the community is leading. The Compleks concept showed its added value in the housing market, during this case study that we conducted together with Compleks. Creating an inclusive, sustainable and affordable mixed living concept is a challenge, but certainly possible. The focus was on creating a flexible and adaptive design in which the principle of commoning plays a fundamental role. The heart of the project is a wooden pre-fab module, it is an adaptive living concept, which can be adapted to different building sizes and locations. Compleks won a special prize for this case study in the Challenge Middenhuur, organised by the municipality of Utrecht.


Utrecht, 2020 - ongoing

Co-housing, 3.000m2 BVO

60 mid- and social rental units from 30 to 60 m2, communal spaces and non-housing functions

Energyneutral, built with a combination of prefebcrated bio-based wooden modules and prefab concrete




TEAM

Developer - Stichting Compleks