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Regulatory limits push KiteHouse pilot project to neighbouring jurisdiction.
A Brussels-based modular startup is currently constructing its first fully polycarbonate house in the Netherlands after being unable to secure planning approval for the same system in Belgium. (main image: Render of KiteHouse’s modular polycarbonate home under construction in the Netherlands.)
KiteHouse was established by engineering architect Agnieszka Gansiniec, who also leads D44 Architecture, a Brussels-based architectural practice active internationally across residential, commercial and public building projects. KiteHouse has been positioned as a response to growing housing delivery pressure and the limits of conventional construction processes.
According to national construction federation Embuild, Belgium requires approximately 375,000 new homes within the next five years to avoid a housing shortfall. Gansiniec argues that the barrier is not a lack of expertise or materials, but a system that struggles to accommodate alternative delivery models.
“The entire construction process as we know it today is fundamentally flawed,” she said. “It takes years to obtain a permit; architects, engineers and contractors do not communicate with each other; and budgets explode due to spiralling costs, sometimes resulting in projects being halted.”
She also pointed to the environmental burden of traditional construction. “The environmental impact of conventional methods is enormous, both in terms of water and raw material consumption as well as energy use and CO₂ emissions — not to mention the tonnes of construction waste that are left behind. And yet we continue as if there were no other option. Enough is enough.”
Eco Kit system integrates design, permitting and delivery
KiteHouse’s response has been the development of its Eco Kit system, a modular prefabricated flatpack approach that integrates design, permitting and construction into a single workflow. Gansiniec describes the system as “LEGO® for professionals” or “IKEA® for houses”, with kits supplied alongside approved plans, BIM files and assembly guidelines.
“With the Eco Kit, we are rethinking the entire construction process, from permit to completion, combining certainty with speed, sustainability and affordability,” she said. “This allows us to build 50% faster on average, according to a fixed timeline and budget at market-based prices: no surprises.”
The company says the system is designed to reduce onsite waste by 95%, with materials that are 97.7% renewable. Operational energy demand is also intended to be low, with projected household energy bills estimated at only a few dozen pounds per month.
Polycarbonate pilot underway in the Netherlands
Polycarbonate is a core material in the Eco Kit system. While the advanced polymer is lightweight, durable and heat-resistant, Belgian regulations do not currently permit its use as a primary structural material. As a result, KiteHouse is constructing its first fully polycarbonate home in Vlissingen, just across the border.
Gansiniec frames this as a regulatory and process constraint rather than a technical limitation. “We’re not just builders,” she said. “We fix the process.”
KiteHouse is currently seeking developers and partners for a series of pilot projects across housing, social housing, offices, pop-ups, renovations and extensions as it works to scale its modular polycarbonate housing system.
Find D44 Architecture HERE
