Temporary houses in Eindhoven offer room for innovation

“This project, Buurtschap te Veld, is the result of Woondeal 2019,” says Stefanie Gijsbers from the municipality of Eindhoven. “In this we have included that in addition to permanent houses, we also build temporary houses. Because temporary homes are modular, they can be built quickly. And by using the Crisis and Recovery Act, decision making is much faster than usual. “A condition for this is that you build in an innovative way,” continues Gijsbers. “Concretely, this means that we try new materials and promote social innovation. In addition to the social rent and the average rent, there will be lots that people can rent and on which they can build their own housing. Think of a small house or a straw house.

Innovation incentive

Stefan Schuwer, on behalf of the housing companies Woonbedrijf and “huis from Eindhoven”, believes that the temporary nature of the houses is a huge stimulus for innovation. “Apparently you can afford a little more space in terms of temporary housing. People suddenly dare to experiment. The houses are different, as are the infrastructures with, for example, semi-asphalt roads. There are also many common outdoor areas and central parking. It requires a certain mentality among the residents. You are jointly responsible for your neighborhood.

The municipality of Eindhoven has chosen to leave the houses standing for thirty years. This period is fifteen years for most temporary homes. “But then, we do not assess the costs”, explains Gijsbers this choice. “We are building a new neighborhood here with full infrastructure. The costs are therefore higher than if you were to build 20 temporary dwellings in an existing neighborhood. Schuwer adds: “We also want to avoid that temporary here means that people are constantly moving and therefore do not create a connection with the neighborhood. If you can stay somewhere for thirty years, this will truly be your place. It must therefore become a mixed neighborhood with homes to begin with, the elderly and families ”.

Building from a vision

If you want to succeed with a temporary housing project, you must first develop a clear vision, according to Schuwer. Stick to that vision from start to finish. Make it a joint statement for the municipality, corporations and all other parties involved. Gijsbers fully agrees with this: “Seeing each other as partners and not as adversaries. The success of the company is the success of the municipality and vice versa ”.

Learn more about it cooperation project.