Space-S, Eindhoven

Space-S is a special social housing project by Inbo and Woonbedrijf. On a scale like never before seen in the social rental sector, 400 future residents participated in the design process from the very beginning. The development consists of a cluster of 7 buildings, with publicly accessible collective outdoor spaces nested in between. The program is a mix of different housing types: apartments, lofts, student housing and homes with extra space for hobby or work. In addition, there are "protected living studios", which are developed and rented out in collaboration with social organizations.

Housing association Woonbedrijf had bought land on a prime location in Eindhoven: Strijp-S, an old industrial area of the internationally renowned company Philips that was being transformed into a lively, hip city district where culture, work, design and living mix. Woonbedrijf had no idea what they wanted and could do with this empty land. At that time, the economic crisis prevailed, nothing was being built. People were genuinely concerned about their basic needs, such as survival and keeping their jobs, before investing in new buildings. At first, Woonbedrijf thought of creating office spaces at that location. But they changed their minds: already enough office spaces were empty at the time. Therefore, they shifted to the idea of creating social housing. But not just in the common way: they reversed the process. They did not first create a home, then look for tenants and then create a neighbourhood. Woonbedrijf wanted to work in a customer-driven way: develop homes together with the future habitants. So first finding tenants, then creating a community and based on their demands, create a home for them. The resident as co-creator. Woonbedrijf and Vestide (the student branch of Woonbedrijf) decided to ask future tenants what they wanted to create at Strijp-S. And since there were no tenants yet, they were recruited on Facebook with the slogan: "How do you want to live on Strijp-S? Think along, from scratch!" Woonbedrijf received hundreds of responses and invited these people to co-formulate the DNA of the future SPACE-S. Woonbedrijf chose Inbo to design the project together with the future residents. They were looking for a party that recognizes the added value of co-creation. They judged Inbo as an architectural firm that is able to collaborate and design very well together with future tenants, as proven in previous assignments.