Jules Kellens
Muros Habitabile. UHasselt (Belgium).
Can architecture solve flooding problems?
Muros habitabile explores the potential of architecture to solve flooding problems. Two years ago I experienced the tragedy and anxiety of living near a flood plain. Properties that were brutally destroyed made me aware of the power that water can have. Man countered this by building locks and channelling the Meuse - inadequate. Technology is the answer, but what was the question? My project takes this status quo as a starting point, while developing a future-proof solution for Dinant (BE).
Dinant was historically a fortified area, and still contains retaining walls that protected people from water. My project takes the wall as a starting point, and projects 7 inhabitable walls on the Meuse. These walls tame the river by giving it horizontal space again - as before - creating buffer areas against flooding of the city. Contrary to the principle of dyke reinforcement, in my project the Meuse is given room to expand horizontally, thus avoiding floods. These walls form the basic elements of the future-proof settlement.
My project proposes a city form that does the opposite of a city of streets: it defines clear boundaries, while the rest remains undefined. The wall is seen as something that powerfully limits space but also, by remaining resolutely itself, leaves its surroundings free. The wall, which in its primary form contains a sustainable and self-sustaining settlement will guide future programmatic development
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