Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio
Architects: Bham Design Studio
Location: Steenokkerzeel, Belgium
Exterior Renovation & Structural Work: MUNA
Project Area: 450 sqm
Project Year: 2007-2008
Photographs: Jasmine Van Hevel, Mauro Brigham and Olivier Papegnies
The History
In a small terrain of 16m width by 20m long in the middle of a flat Belgian landscape, raises a 30m high water tower built between 1938 and 1941 for and by the village of Steenokkerzeel. It has been in service until the beginning of the nineties and was used by the Nazis during the 2nd world war as a “tour de guete”.
In 2004 a procedure was filled to protect and preserve the building witch the Royal commission for the protection and preservation of monuments and sites accepted.
The exterior of the tower was fully renovated to its initial state. Damaged concrete columns were repaired and painted, brick joints were completely removed and replaced and the windows in the floor top were enlarged.
The works for a complete renovation and conversion into a single family house started in 2007.
The Program
The program foresees two distinct profiles of users. The private and main user is the client, a couple living at the tower daily. Once or twice a month, part of the building is rented for very exclusive events targeting management people looking for a place to make workshops, high profile companies that seek a unique place to meet top clients near by the airport. Every room is equipped with the latest IT technology, domotics and the possibility to install projectors virtually anywhere on the top floor.
Interior Architecture
The preservation of existing concrete elements such as the main water conduct, concrete ceilings, concrete stairs and the 250.000 liters concrete water basin were essential to preserve the strong identity of the building.
Every visible concrete element inside was painted in dark grey in order to mark the old from the new. This choice works in both ways since it makes the contrast created makes both bright and dark stand out.
0 – Main entrance & garage (2 cars)
1 – Technical room, storage and utility
2 – Guest room & office
An envelope inside the envelope. The combination of vertical and horizontal wengé surfaces delineates the guest’s bedroom area with its own bathroom.
3 – Bathroom
A central 4.5 meter high shower was created in the bathroom in order to maximize the water flow experience. Black tainted glass walls surround the walk in shower increasing the sense of intimacy.
Textile as visual separation from the cupboards was introduced to create a balance with the other “hard” materials and enhance the room’s acoustics.
4 – Bedroom
This circular room with a dome ceiling hosts a revolving stairs leading to the upper floor and a full monolithic mirror dressing witch reflects the surroundings and gradually disappears.
Wengé wood flooring contrasts with the cold nature of the mirror surfaces. Light reflection on the wood bounces providing warm reddish tones on the walls.
5 – Living room, kitchen and dining room
Impressive by its circular shape and large surface, the top floor affords some incredible vistas to the airplanes landing on the national airport just a quarter of a kilometer away.
The elevator block integrates a rest room, a library, the cat house and a cloak room.
Above the sculptural kitchen furniture, a steel bridge takes you to the terrace.
6 – Panoramic terrace
The terrace provides a full panoramic view and is equipped with raised IPE wood flooring and a shower.
- © Courtesy of Bham Design Studio
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- garden plan
- plan 01
- plan 02
- plan 03
- plan 04
- plan 05
- plan 06
- roof terrace plan
- elevations & section
- light study 01
- light study 02
- light study 03











































































































Well done! Greate work! Very delicate and very up to date!
A totally new style of living, very original.
too many great details to mention – nice work!
find the cat in a picture quiz.
..otherwise nice project.
GREAT!
i just love it.
Electricity and home automation by 4INCH sprl
3:05 PM Sep 5th
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3:05 PM Sep 5th
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio: © Courtesy of Bham Design StudioArchitects: Bham Design Studio Location: Steen… http://bit.ly/dzQQSX
3:06 PM Sep 5th
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3:13 PM Sep 5th
RT @archdaily: Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://archdai.ly/ccWSRI #architecture
3:15 PM Sep 5th
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio: Architects: Bham Design Studio Location: Steenokkerzeel, Belgium Exterior Reno… http://bit.ly/dzQQSX
3:18 PM Sep 5th
Interessante!! @archdaily: Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://archdai.ly/ccWSRI #architecture
3:18 PM Sep 5th
RT @archdaily: Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://archdai.ly/ccWSRI #architecture
3:24 PM Sep 5th
ArchDaily – Chateau d'eau / Bham Design Studio: Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio: © Courtesy of Bham Desi… http://bit.ly/9HLMn6 #Design
3:26 PM Sep 5th
RT @archdaily: Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://archdai.ly/ccWSRI #architecture
3:46 PM Sep 5th
Blijkt dat er nog een vrij grote sofa in een watertoren past. Do want to live in! // Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://t.co/VkaKWbK
3:46 PM Sep 5th
#Architekt #Calau Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio: © Courtesy of Bham Design StudioArchi… http://bit.ly/9T2Zgy #in http://dy.cx/c03
3:50 PM Sep 5th
Darfs ein kleines, süsses Chateau sein? via @ArchitektScholz … Courtesy of Bham Design http://bit.ly/9T2Zgy #in http://dy.cx/c03
3:51 PM Sep 5th
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily http://t.co/djhqD7f via @archdaily
4:05 PM Sep 5th
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://bit.ly/bOIGaM very nice conversion…
4:15 PM Sep 5th
Una versión moderna http://bit.ly/ac1Uv1 de la Casa en las Nubes http://bit.ly/avL35i
4:15 PM Sep 5th
Una versión moderna http://bit.ly/ac1Uv1 de la Casa en las Nubes http://bit.ly/avL35i
4:15 PM Sep 5th
Una versión moderna http://bit.ly/ac1Uv1 de la Casa en las Nubes http://bit.ly/avL35i
4:15 PM Sep 5th
Una versión moderna http://bit.ly/ac1Uv1 de la Casa en las Nubes http://bit.ly/avL35i
4:19 PM Sep 5th
Une maison dans un château d’eau – belle réhabilitation / Bham Design Studio http://archdai.ly/ccWSRI #architecture #design via @archdaily
4:22 PM Sep 5th
Delicious: Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily: Une maison dans un château d’eau – bell… http://bit.ly/9HLMn6 [design, method]
5:30 PM Sep 5th
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://j.mp/9uHkgD
5:59 PM Sep 5th
Now this is a house! -> Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily http://t.co/Qky6JX7 via @archdaily
7:46 PM Sep 5th
Chateau d'eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily: Architects: Bham Design Studio Location: Steenokkerzeel, Belgium E… http://bit.ly/aZZYJO
7:54 PM Sep 5th
was talking about living in a water tower earlier! cool!
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily http://t.co/8kQWBE5 via @archdaily
8:44 PM Sep 5th
RT @cabovolo: Una versión moderna http://bit.ly/ac1Uv1 de la Casa en las Nubes http://bit.ly/avL35i > 2 different water tower conversions!
9:21 PM Sep 5th
貯水タンクを家にするとこうなる Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily http://t.co/86nZcb1
9:21 PM Sep 5th
貯水タンクを家にするとこうなる Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily http://t.co/86nZcb1
9:21 PM Sep 5th
貯水タンクを家にするとこうなる Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily http://t.co/86nZcb1
9:51 PM Sep 5th
Nice work. Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://archdai.ly/ccWSRI #architecture via @archdaily
11:26 PM Sep 5th
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily http://t.co/6BbO0D0 via @archdaily (super COOOOL)
1:40 AM Sep 6th
Chateau d'eau / Bham Design Studio | ArchDaily: Architects: Bham Design Studio Location: Steenokkerzeel, Belgium E… http://bit.ly/9xZBHP
6:00 AM Sep 6th
Mooi design & licht in Belgisch #erfgoed watertoren “@archdaily: Chateau d’eau, Bham Design Studio http://archdai.ly/ccWSRI #architecture”
7:20 AM Sep 6th
What a lovely place to live! Chateau d'eau / Bham Design Studio http://www.archdaily.com/?p=76199
7:42 AM Sep 6th
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://ff.im/-qhHC4
10:57 AM Sep 6th
Klasse Umnutzung eines alten Wasserturmes. via @archdaily http://ht.ly/2A0At
3:49 AM Sep 8th
One of my 10 000 childhood dream-homes come alive – Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://t.co/KBZwyoB via @archdaily
4:07 AM Sep 8th
If you don't mind five flights of stairs, this Belgian water tower is a killer house http://bit.ly/daQ93z (via @TreeHugger)
6:16 AM Sep 8th
This is what I call quality recycling http://nice.st/p
1:23 PM Sep 8th
who knew living in a water tower could be so cool. brilliant execution… http://www.archdaily.com/76199/chateau-deau-bham-design-studio/
2:07 AM Sep 9th
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio : old water tower renovate #architect http://is.gd/f1Je1
4:21 AM Sep 9th
Inspiring design. And I want that cat! Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://t.co/Lgzw06x via @archdaily
11:27 AM Sep 9th
¿Cómo transformar un faro en una casa lujosa? http://bit.ly/cZKQ2u
1:15 AM Sep 10th
Architecture: Water Tower by Bham Design Studio [Pictures] – http://bit.ly/9GV65s (via @archdaily) #design #architecture
7:38 PM Sep 10th
gran proyecto de interiorismo Chateau d’eau http://t.co/bEabUXz vía @archdaily
7:04 PM Sep 26th
#creativity in the use of an old water tower in Belgium. Also a great use of Wenge wood. http://bit.ly/cZKQ2v
7:04 PM Sep 26th
#creativity in the use of an old water tower in Belgium. Also a great use of Wenge wood. http://bit.ly/cZKQ2v
12:40 PM Oct 3rd
Chateau d’eau / Bham Design Studio http://is.gd/fIn9U
3:14 AM Feb 7th
http://is.gd/fcJfN @plethoraapp
4:45 AM Apr 20th
http://is.gd/fcJfN @plethoraapp
7:39 PM Sep 1st
Knap en origineel wonen in een watertoren.. schitterend design naar mijn bescheiden mening.. http://t.co/KHh56Kh