Korrel (feasibility studies for income-generating property developments)

Feasibility is assessed through three lenses: architectural quality, permit potential, and cost-benefit balance. The studies are primarily commissioned by private or professional clients interested in exploring the potential of small, inner-city income properties.

Korrel I

A specific plot: wide, but shallow. Both the front and rear sides border a street. The plot is well-oriented, overlooks a canal, and sits between two streets with very different traffic profiles. About six scenarios are drawn up. Six distinct answers, each put forward for consideration.

Korrel II

A specific cluster of plots, located along the waterfront. Two houses are currently built on the front building line. A third volume breaks the street façade and is set far back. It is precisely this recessed volume that enjoys access to a large, leafy inner-block garden. The study explores a wide spectrum of possibilities, some starting from preservation, others from a clean slate. Proposals range from classic terraced houses to more intricate compositions of stacked, ground-related homes. Each configuration comes with its own implications in terms of parking, fire safety regulations and acoustics, all of which are incorporated into both the drawings and the cost estimates.

Korrel III

A relatively wide and moderately deep plot along a busy road. That same road happens to lie to the south and west, the very sides where you’d instinctively want to place a terrace. This tension between exposure and seclusion calls for a thoughtful answer. At the rear, the plot connects to an accessible part of the block interior with shared carports; a possible opportunity for alternative access. Several scenarios for small-scale apartment buildings are explored, each tackling the same set of questions differently: smart configurations of outdoor space, minimal shared circulation, strategic use of the dual street address, and the most appealing division of quality units. What all schemes have in common is their responsiveness to the finer grain of the low-rise street in which the plot is situated. Each proposal finds a way to downscale and fit into the rhythm of its surroundings.