How should the renovation and transformation of 20th-century social housing be approached? Given the complexity of the issues, the subject requires a broader approach. The situation in the Brussels-Capital Region is alarming: in 2022, there were 40,500 social housing units, while more than 50,000 households were waiting for housing. The average waiting time for social housing is almost 12 years.

Numerous existing social housing buildings are at a turning point: the life cycle of various materials is coming to an end, the integration of housing into the urban fabric needs to be reviewed, the habitability and functionality of the buildings is inadequate, and a new approach to resident involvement is required. In recent years, together with BMA we organised over 30 competitions around these issues.

In 2020, for instance, there was a call where we announced several feasibility studies, including those for the large projects of De Roovere and Gandhi, which need a comprehensive vision. In 2021, in collaboration with Logement Molenbeekois, five different sites were grouped together in a single call to carry out a major renovation.

In 2022, BMA, in collaboration with CIVA and KU Leuven, organised a series of 3 debate evenings titled Changing Building, Changing Context, and Changing Tempo. Clients, designers and other stakeholders in the field discussed the specific challenges involved in renovating 20th-century social housing. These evenings deliberately took place in relevant locations where the subject was tangible, such as the nursery at the top of the tower on the Rue Haute and the social restaurant in Peterbos. The success of these debate evenings indicated a need to build on the knowledge already gathered.

The interviews, together with the results of the competitions and the work of KU Leuven students, were compiled in a publication Real Life Brussels. This guide is not intended as an academic work, but rather as a starting point to invite reflection. It does not offer any ready-made answers, but aims to highlight the complex interplay of factors and is, above all, a call to action.