Belgian KiteHouse builds first house made of polycarbonate
Start-up wants to tackle housing crisis and climate goals with scalable 'LEGO® for professionals'
Vlissingen/Brussel/Tervuren, October 30, 2025 - KiteHouse, a Brussels start-up from the Start it @KBC programme, is currently building its first polycarbonate house in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. In light of a looming housing crisis, the company founded by experienced engineer-architect Agnieszka Gansiniec (D44) is reinventing the traditional construction process with a radically different, fast, circular and affordable approach, based on its self-developed Eco Kit. During the Ecobouwers Open House days on 8, 9, 11 and 16 November, KiteHouse will offer a behind-the-scenes look at 3 projects in Tervuren, Neder-Over-Heembeek and Vlissingen. To realise its ambitions, the start-up is currently looking for developers and partners.
375.000: that is how many new homes need to be built in Belgium over the next 5 years if we are to avoid a housing crisis, according to national construction federation Embuild. Greenification of the patrimonium too is needed, for the country to reach its climate goals. Yet, looking at things today, it seems we are a long way off of that.
Fundamentally flawed
“The entire construction process as we know it today is fundamentally flawed: 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. The environmental impact of traditional construction methods is enormous too, both in terms of water and raw material consumption as energy consumption 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," says MSc (Engineering Architect) Agnieszka Gansiniec, founder of KiteHouse.
Fast, renewable and zero-waste ‘LEGO® for professionals’
Based on her years of experience, Gansiniec began developing the KiteHouse Eco Kit: a fully thought-out, integrated and modular prefab flatpack system that she describes as 'LEGO® for professionals' or 'IKEA® for houses'. Fast, almost entirely renewable and zero-waste, the kit contains all the necessary building elements, as well as approved plans, BIM files and assembly guidelines. From new constructions to renovations and extensions: anything is possible.
“With the Eco Kit, we are rethinking the entire construction process, from permit to completion, combining certainty with speed, sustainability and affordability. This allows us to build 50% faster on average, according to a fixed timeline and budget at market-based prices: no surprises. Our materials are 97.7% renewable, while we also reduce the amount of waste on site by 95%, in line with the principle of ‘zero waste construction’. Finally, the average energy bill is barely a few dozen pounds”, continues founder Agnieszka Gansiniec. “What’s more: our model is not limited to new-build homes: social housing, offices, pop-ups and other volumes are possible too, as are renovations and extensions. All of those will be needed, if we want to keep housing affordable for young people and families alike.”
Developers and partners wanted
To realise its ambitions, KiteHouse is currently looking for developers and partners.
“An integrated and scalable system, from permit to commissioning, with predictable costs and timelines... Our Eco Kit offers an answer to the legal and practical quicksand that leaves many projects stranded, and is therefore of particular interest to developers. With our speed and certainty, we can help provide a solution to the housing crisis and the shortage of social housing in our country, as well as the climate goals”, states Agnieszka Gansiniec.
Interested developers and partners can register with KiteHouse for a series of pilot projects; there are still three places available.
Ecobouwers Open House Days 2025
Just across the border, in Vlissingen, KiteHouse is currently building its first new-build home in polycarbonate. In Tervuren, it is working on an extension with an extra floor, and in Neder-Over-Heembeek, the start-up is renovating a classic home. To see how the construction process is progressing, developers, partners and other interested parties will shortly be able to visit these three Eco Kit demo houses during the Ecobouwers Open House days 2025.
Tervuren – extension and addition of an extra floor
- Sat 8/11 – guided visit at 10h00 and 14h00 (NL)
- Uitbreiding en verdieping | Ecobouwers
Neder-Over-Heembeek – renovation of a classic home
- Sun 9/11 – guided visit at 10h00 (NL) and 14h00 (FR)
- Grondige renovatie van klassieke Brusselse woning | Ecobouwers
Vlissingen (NL) – first Eco Kit new-build demo house
- Tue 11/11 and Sun 16/11 – guided visit at 10h00 (NL) and 14h00 (EN)
- Eco Kit demowoning | Ecobouwers
“Light, superstrong, heat-resistant, multi-purpose and easy to work with: polycarbonate, a form of advanced polymer, is one of the building materials of the future. However, legislation in Belgium currently does not allow for it to be used as the main building material. It is but one of the many regulatory hurdles that exist in our country today with regard to more modern and sustainable ways of building”, concludes Agnieszka Gansiniec.
Registering for the Ecobouwers Open House days is possible via the link below, places are limited. Developers and partners are especially welcome.
More info and application for the KiteHouse pilot projects is to be found on kitehouse.be.
