A Mobility Hub To Put Houthalen On The Map - Masters project A. Verlaak 2020

A MOBILITY HUB TO PUT HOUTHALEN ON THE MAP

Alexander Verlaak UHasselt - fac ArcK - 2019/2020

CONTENTS A MOBILITY HUB TO PUT HOUTHALEN ON THE MAP

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CORE REVITALISATION THROUGH SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

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THESIS RESEARCH

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Suburban cores

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Nodes between mobility and cores

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quantifying the quality and opportunities of a node

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URBAN ANALYSIS

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A central hub on the north south

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Multiple cores, multiple identities

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East-West connections

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Cuppensplein and the core of Houthalen

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NZL AMBITIONS

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Problems and potentials

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A NEW IDENTITY FOR HOUTHALEN

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A stark contrast

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Core masterplan

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Creating a canopy on the square

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Program 35 Using Architectural form as a visual identifier

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Mixed use underground space

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Skylights define flexible spaces

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Open versus closed spaces

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Foyer as public waiting area

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Drinks with a view

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A view over the main square

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Flexibility for the future

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Underground space

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CORE REVITALISATION THROUGH SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY

THESIS RESEARCH The main starting point of my master thesis is the ongoing shift in mobility in Flanders in order to reduce emissons, air pollution, traffic incidents, the amount of pavement, especially in suburban areas etc. One major component of this mobility shift is the use of bicycles for local movement, which acts as a feeder network for a robust and comprehensive public transit system. The question which then rises is how these networks can aid in the process of core reinforcement, particularly in a suburban context, where neither public transit nor it’s attraction of living and working environments are as pronounced as in more urban situations.

In order to find an answer to this question, a case study on the bicycle highway in Houthalen-Helchteren was carried out. In order to understand the possible link between mobility and core reinforcement, both systems or networks are examined.

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For the case study of the mobility system of a suburban bicycle highway, the system was seperated into various parts, such as the crossroads, the different types of elements in the vicinity and the types of use and users.

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SUBURBAN CORES Because of the suburban context, the discovered cores are different from the type-image of a core that belongs to core reinforcement. However, the cores, such as an industrial area or business park but also valuable nature and ‘simple’ residential areas without many economic or commercial functions, can have a major impact on the use of the bicycle highway and the experience of the spaces around it.

By paying attention to these smallerscale forms of ‘cores’, the cycle highway can acquire a more local character and local points of contact, which in turn help to promote these local cores on a supralocal level.

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NODES BETWEEN MOBILITY AND CORES These cores and their relationship with the bicycle highway system are the basis for determining the various types of junctions, in combination with the intersections and the presence of public transport present at these cores, but also the type of use (recreational vs. functional travel) and the elements and functions present determine the type of junctions (the combination between the node and the place or intersection and the ‘core’).

These types of nodes in the analysed route are for example the recreational node, the business park node and the parcelling node. These types of junctions are at the basis of strengthening the cores on the basis of the facilities already present and the possibilities available for the type.

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TYPE KNOOPPUNTEN

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QUANTIFYING THE QUALITY AND OPPORTUNITIES OF A NODE

VERKAVELINGSKNOOP WIJKKNOOP KNOOP

Nodes consist of a junction between mobility-networks and a space or a place around this junctions. Both of these elements impact eachother, and it is through this interplay that corereinforcement through mobility is possible.

In Maak Plaats! , a study of public transit nodes in The Netherlands, a butterfly model with three parameters on each side is used to define different types of nodes, and a so called ideal situation, to which urban planners, designers, mobilitiy engineers and architects should strive when planning, designing or re-designing a node.

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BEDRIJVENTERREIN-KNOOP

trage wegen - lokaal

BEDRIJFSKNOOP PLAATS

KNOOP

functies

fietsverbinding

trage wegen - lokaal

leesbaarheid

bovenlokaal vervoer

verblijfskwaliteit

NATUUR- EN RECREATIEKNOOP NATUURKNOOP KNOOP trage wegen - lokaal

fietsverbinding

bovenlokaal vervoer

PLAATS functies

fietsverbinding

leesbaarheid

bovenlokaal vervoer

verblijfskwaliteit

BAANWINKEL-KNOOP COMMERCIËLE KNOOP

PLAATS

KNOOP

functies

trage wegen - lokaal

leesbaarheid

verblijfskwaliteit

fietsverbinding

bovenlokaal vervoer

PLAATS functies

leesbaarheid

verblijfskwaliteit

These paramaters are however, focused on a more urban area and larger, metropolitan public transit networks. In my thesis I have attempted to redefine these parameters for a more suburban context while upping the importance of slow roads and bicycles compared to the importance of (inter)national rail connections and highways in the original model.

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Ram, M., Gerretsen, P. W. J. L., Jaffri, S., Chorus, P. R. W. E., Witteman, B., Provincie Noord-Holland, … Vereniging

Deltametropool. (2013). Maak plaats! Haarlem, Nederland: Provincie Noord Holland.

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URBAN ANALYSIS Eindhoven

A CENTRAL HUB ON THE NORTH SOUTH While not litterlay in the middle between Hasselt and Eindhoven, Houthalen-Helchteren is one of the largest municipalities on the connection between these two significant cities.

Both of which have a healthy industry, universities, colleges and art schools. It is therefore not unthinkable that highly valuable partnerships between different parties are possible, or even encouraged.

A key role in this synergy between two creative and industrious cities is reserved for Houthalen, even more so when the light-rail connection is factored in. It’s location on this connection, inbetween both cities makes it a prime candidate to host these cooperations or partnerships.

Peer

Hechtel

Hechteren

Houthalen

Zonhoven

Genk

Hasselt

Maastricht

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Eindhoven

Eindhoven

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Hasselt

MULTIPLE CORES, MULTIPLE IDENTITIES On the scale of Houthalen itself, there is as well a variety of activity, all be it at a slightly smaller scale. Consisting of multiple cores, such as the three industrial areas, the different nature and recreational domains and the living and commercial cores of Houthalen and Helchteren.

The diagrams show a spread out network of these different activities, which are a result of the growth and planning during the mining times and subsequently in a period of carfocused planning. The seperation of the east and west side of both Houthalen and Helchteren by the Grote Baan is clearly visible and forms one of the

Eindhoven

E31

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Hasselt

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Hasselt

most important issues, especially when considering regional and local mobility.

The public transit network consists of multiple local bus-lines which feed into a North-South oriented connector, which provides regular routes leading to Hasselt as well as to the north of the province of Limburg. While the network provides in the need for a public transit network connecting to Hasselt, and from there to rest of Belgium by train, the quality of the experience is rather low.

This is caused by both the high traffic and the delays that come with it, since bus lanes are not readily available along the entire nort-south, but also by the lacking infrastructure and amenities at the bus stops, which are often in close proximity to the busy road.

Eindhoven

E31

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Hasselt

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EAST-WEST CONNECTIONS When looking at the populated area of Houthalen, it’s core and it’s industrial areas, only three major East-West connections become apparent. This is one of the reasons for the high traffic loads on the Grote Baan. Dangerous and inconvenient crossings for pedestrians and cyclists lead local people to use the car for their local as well as supralocal movements. This in turn adds to the traffic load on these crossings which become even more unsafe, leading to more people relying on their cars for local transportation.

The bicycle highway, shown in blue, is also poorly placed when it comes to attracting local users. It’s mainly focused on a supralocal connection with Hasselt, leaving it unused for the far more common trips to Zonhoven or Hechtel for example. It also bypasses the centre of Houthalen, which is not clearly indicated, therefore removing the possibility to attract outsiders and passers-by to the city centre by bike.

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CUPPENSPLEIN AND THE CORE OF HOUTHALEN The Cuppensplein is Houthalens main square, however, it doesn’t actually function like one. In typical Belgian fashion, it is completely paved over, becoming almost one with the Grote Baan. In its usage this is also the case, functioning as a parking space the majority of the time, only being cleared out for the weekly market and annual town fair.

This perceived dominance of the car is also present throughout the rest of the centre, where most of the space is occupied by roads and parking.

A network of asphalt and pavement

Parking in the centre

From the Grote Baan, the Cuppensplein connects to the two main commercial streets, the Vredelaan and Dorpsstraat and the church on the Sint-Martinus square. This area forms the commercial core of the centre of Houthalen.

This is also where one of the strenghts of the Cuppensplein lies, where it once was opposite of the Town Hall, which has recently been demolished, it can now be expanded across the barrier between east and west to create a new and proper town square.

Commercial spaces

Expansion of the urban core

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EINDHOVEN

PROBLEMS AND POTENTIALS GROTE BAAN

NZL AMBITIONS The North-South Project (NZL) is an on-going research on different aspects concerning the connection between Eindhoven and Hasselt, and it’s problems or opportunities. In their published book they’ve listed 9 ambitions from which 3 ambitions are very interesting to focus on in this project.

Ambition 2: North-South Limburg is committed to optimizing and further developing a fast and reliable NorthSouth regional transport system, thus maximizing the opportunities for a sustainable modal shift for passenger transport. At the same time, North-South Limburg ensures a safe and smooth traffic axis for the car as a connection to the main road network.

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N7

EUROPARK

An intervention in this location, combined with a robust public transit network and an enjoyable public space can bring new life to the city centre, which is now unfortunately severely limited by the Grote Baan.

DE SCHACHT

Ambition 3: North-South Limburg is committed to a high quality (sub)urban bicycle and public transport network that on the one hand strengthens the urban system Hasselt-Genk and on the other hand relieves the busy southern segment of the N715 between Helchteren and Hasselt.

CENTRUM ZUID

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The intervention must first focus on a new mobility system, combining bicycles for local transport and public transport such as buses and the new tram line for more regional connections.

F

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GROTE BAAN

Ambition 6: North-South Limburg requires a recruiting spatial project for the Grote Baan that focuses on a strong identity, on the readability of the landscape and the cores, and on improving the crossing capacity of the Grote Baan itself.

Combining the knowledge from the master thesis regarding the potential for mobility to revitalise different cores, and to attract both people and be a catalyst for densification around certain highvalue nodes with the existing issues in Houthalen, such as the traffic, the lack of east-west connections and a public transit system that is hampered by these issues, has lead to an intervention on the main square of Houthalen, one of the places with alot of potential in both strengthening the actual core of the municipality, as well as being a central location for both the city as well as the network of cities around it.

ALBERTKANAAL

HASSELT

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A NEW IDENTITY FOR HOUTHALEN

Houthalen, Grote Baan - historical image (date unknown)

Houthalen, Grote Baan anno 2020

Houthalen, Grote Baan - 1971

Houthalen, Grote Baan - 2019

A STARK CONTRAST Before the rise of cars as a commonplace mode of transportation, the Grote Baan connecting Houthalen to to revert the Grote Baan back to a more Hasselt was an entirely different situation. pleasent, urban avenue instead of the This historical image gave the impulse current car-dominated barrier.

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CORE MASTERPLAN The masterplan for the Cuppensplein in regards to the direct context of the city -centre of Houthalen aims to create and define a proper square in what is now a vast open parking space. Due to its size, the square in it’s current configuration fails to provide a cozy and enjoyable atmosphere that matches the scale of the city and its ammenities.

By moving the regional traffic (and parkingspace) below the surface, a continous ‘urban carpet’ creates both a visual as well as a spatial connection between the previously seperated eastand west-sides of the Cuppensplein.

Local traffic is kept out of the centre, with concentrated parking (on the SintMartinus square next to the church, and on a new green parking behind the mobility hub) for locals visiting the centre or making use of the mobility hub.

In order to reintroduce an element of human scale, the vast space of the square is subdivided into different spaces, each linked to a building or a specific set of functions. Within this plan, two main projects are shaped, a mobility hub which aims to connect local and supralocal or regional netwerks and a community centre that provides a much needed adaptable space for local communities in a highly visible and visited location with more regional connections..

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CREATING A CANOPY ON THE SQUARE 1. In order to promote the permeability of the Grote Baan, the primary intervention is to redirect traffic into a tunnel, alongside which underground spaces on both sides are created. Circular openings are created in order to draw light into the underground spaces.Three new buildings are added to finish of the urban fabric and provide both commercial spaces to further activate the square, as well as medium density housing.

2. Extending these columns from the underground spaces continues this identity and allows a high canopy to form over the square and the light rail facilities. On the rest of the square the underground structure is repeated using regular columns to structure the square for events, the market etc., and which function as lighting elements.

3. The canopy provides the main element for the mobility hub, providing both shelter from the weather as well as a highly visible element indicating the station on the tram line.

4. The space underneath the canopy becomes a closed of but public interior space, a continuation of the square.

Green elements are added to the same grid as the columns to create a more hospitible environment as well as a green parking space for local use.

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PROGRAM

rra ce

The project consists of program functions aimed at different users, from locals to commuters and potential visitors as well as a more ‘professional public’ from Hasselt, Eindhoven, Greenville and the different companies located on the industrial areas of Houthalen.

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f te

of o r en

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core bar / é f ca

The programme focuses in the first place on mobility, where the proposed tramline (the so called Spartacuslijn) and the North-South oriented bus routes get a more prominent and complete station.

The station part consists of a large canopy providing a covered outside waiting area, as well as a public indoor waiting area with a simple ticket office.

Furthermore, a small café provides an extra space for commuters to wait, do a little work or for people waiting for their bicycle to be repaired.

core ea r c i a l pub aiting w

k

or w o c

Since the bicycle network acts as a feeder network for the public transit system, sufficient and safe bicycle parking is needed. This is complemented by a social bicycle repair shop, which provides repairs at a fair price as well as workshop sessions to teach people basic repair skills.

core

ing

ir

pa e r ke

bi

Three additional buildings provide the necessary closure of the square and hide the local parking facilities out of sight while providing space for additional commercial or public functions to activate the square, as well as housing development in the vicinity of the mobility hub.

cle ng y c i b arki p

As described earlier, because of it’s location in between different larger cities, as well as being the centre point between the industrial zones, it is a prime location for coworking and meeting spaces to facilitate synergies between companies, freelancers, entrepeneurs, students from these different cities and industrial areas.

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USING ARCHITECTURAL FORM AS A VISUAL IDENTIFIER Starting from a so-called ‘mushroomcolumn’ or ‘mushroom-floor’ which gets it’s name from the peculiar shape of the column which reduces shearing forces which are the result of the punching power of the column on the slab.

This is especially useful for the underground construction where the applied stress of the added soil layer, paving and vehicles is usually greater than in regular building floors.

Johsnon Wax Building, F.L. Wright, https://images.surfacemag.com/app/ uploads/2017/06/SCJohnson-Admin-Bldg-Great-Work-Room-MichelleSweetman-2000x1333.jpg

Parkind de Bond Leuven, M. de-Sola Morales, Geraadpleegd via http://manueldesolamorales.com/proys/Leuven_eng.html

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closed of formal meeting space

patio/direct entrance

co-working spaces bicycle repair

entrance ramp underground bicycle parking

MIXED USE UNDERGROUND SPACE An overdimensioned bicycle parking allows an expansion of the underground program in the near future. By preparing the underground volume with preinstalled insulation, concrete core activation and openings in strategic locations, the entire level can easily be transformed into a usable indoor space.

Adjacent to the bicycle parking is the bicycle repair shop, an initiative which provides affordable repairs and workshops for local people to learn how to do their own repairs. Alongside this is ‘the foyer’ or the public waiting area which forms one space with the foyer on the waiting area on the first floor. This space is connected to the co-working area and doubles as a relax are and space for informal meetings.

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SKYLIGHTS DEFINE FLEXIBLE SPACES Drawing in natural light from above using skylights is one of the main ways to create an enjoyable space underground. Using different sizes of skylights and light, fabric curtains, special places are defined in the open office space such as meeting areas and smaller relaxing zones for informal meetings.

The skylight uses integrated photovoltaĂŻcs to generate power while also providing the benefit of privacy through translucency.

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klinkers 6cm stabilisĂŠ en zandlaag 10cm drainagelaag chape 8cm isolatie 12cm betonnen plaat 50cm

rond prefab element 20cm gewapend beton 12cm XPS isolatie 6cm zichtbeton binnenafwerking in situ geverfd pleisterwerk

holte voor wachtwapening in situ volgestort

betonkernactivering

vloerafwerking afh. van zone funderingsplaat 50cm, indien nodig versterkt met ribben onder kolommen en zijwanden XPS isolatie 12cm zuiveringsbeton volle grond

Skylight detail

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OPEN VERSUS CLOSED SPACES 45

automatic parcel machine

co-working space reception

ticket office

public waiting area

FOYER AS PUBLIC WAITING AREA A raised floor level to indicate it’s presence and importance both underground and on the public square level, the structure provides a public waiting area, indicated by the continued surface of the tram and bus platform.The space doubles as a formal entrance to the underground co-working space and bike facility as well as to the café and it’s roof terrace overlooking the square.

Circular elements, referring back to the circular column heads provide integrated seating as well as the reception desk.

This theme is continued as well in the sleek metal stairs which fill the double height entrance and are visible from the outside, guiding the users towards the next level.

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first floor terrace

cafĂŠ

DRINKS WITH A VIEW The first floor, constructed from a steel grid suspended from the roof which allows the inside space to be converted into three floors (ground floor, lvl 1, lvl 2 and the roof space) is home to a small cafĂŠ and bar which acts as both a break room for those working in the coworking space, those visiting Houthalen and those waiting for the bus or tram who want something more.

From this level, the first floor terrace is accesible, where a stairway similair to the one in the front of the building leads to the roof which doubles as an extension of the terrace and is construed as a continuation of square.

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transit hub cafĂŠ 53

A VIEW OVER THE MAIN SQUARE From the cafĂŠ on the floor below, there is acces to both the first floor terrace, as well as the roof terrace which, at approximately 10 meters above the square, provides not only a view of the main square, but also has a visual connection with the historical landmarks of Houthalen, such as the Church and the former mining towers.

By positiong the roof in line with the existing buildings, a natural awning on the south side, supplemented with wooden slats on the uncovered portion of the facade, provides shade and reduces overheating during the summer.

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south square facade 57

north square facade 59

FLEXIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE Not only is the underground space fully ready to be expanded through pre-installed insulation and strategic openings which can easily be converted into a patio or skylight, on the surface level there is also a certain amount of flexibility with regards to the future.

Within the current volume, the two floors with exaggerated ceiling height can easily be converted into three levels (ground floor, +1, +2 and roof) since the floors are suspended from the roof.

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UNDERGROUND SPACE By placing the majority of the space under the square, the impact of added program is reduced with the goal of having a clear continuation of the square from east to west, almost completely removing the physical and mental barrier formed by the Grote Baan.

The underground space also leaves room to spare to expand the programme, and is partially situated at the tunnels level in order to incorporate this space as well as the underground space on other side of the tunnel in the future.

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klinkers 6cm stabilisĂŠ en zandlaag 10cm drainagelaag chape 8cm isolatie 12cm betonnen plaat 50cm

betonnen wand 30cm isolatie XPS 12cm berliner wand als verloren bekisting

plantaarde drainage worteldoek volle grond grondanker

potgrond worteldoek

vloerafwerking afh. van zone funderingsplaat 50cm, indien nodig versterkt met ribben onder kolommen en zijwanden XPS isolatie 12cm zuiveringsbeton volle grond

underground space w/ square on top, corner detail GSEducationalVersion

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GSEducationalVersion

thermische onderbreking houten terras op balklaag verstelbare terrasdragers dakdichting hellingsisolatie betonplaat 40cm met voorbereiding voor opgehangen tussenvloer

houten vloerafwerking contactgeluisisolatie plaatwerk I-proďŹ elen raster

detail section of the south square facade

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