In a rather forgotten corner of Ghent, close to Dampoort Station, the largest co-housing project in Flanders has sprung up within the walls of a former factory. Three austere, sturdy yet rather irregular five- to eight-storey blocks accommodate fifty-nine households, a series of communal spaces, a collective garden and a district healthcare centre. Designed by &bogdan, the complex is a rare example of sustainable, energy-efficient building.

It all started with a competition organized by SoGent in 2009 to repurpose the impressive saw-tooth roof complex of the metal processing company Malmar, which originally housed the Baertsoen and Buysse textile factory. The complex borders Bijgaarde Park to the south, the railway to the west and Dendermondsesteenweg to the east. The railway lines used to extend all the way into the complex, where Deborah Lambillottepad now runs.