Swelling LV / LR Architects

Architects: LR Architects
Location: Seneffe, Belgium
Completion: 2008
Surface: 170 sqm
Photographs: Laurent Brandajs

The client wanted to build a house for four people. The willingness to use eco friendly insulation materials quickly led us to choose a wooden structure. Beyond any environmental considerations, a light construction was necessary because of a very humid soil. The wooden framework thus proved appropriate on both grounds.

On the outside, the Trespa panels give the façade a unique appearance. The idea was to create a black box and mark the façade as well as remaining in a timber-framed logic, hence using light materials. Both a construction area reduced to an 11 meters square and the south orientation of the front façade led us to choose the construction of a cube scooped up in some places to create terraces. Inside, everything is built around a large central space which serves all other rooms. The importance of this central room is emphasized by a greater ceiling height.

The house is equipped with a geothermal heat pump – the perfect choice considering the very humid condition of the ground – and a double-flow mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. The ground floor is ground-heated. There is no heating in the bedrooms, insulation and ventilation retaining and redistributing the heat in each room. In this project compact building proves less expensive.