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Architects: Dieter De Vos Architecten
- Area: 275 m²
- Year: 2013
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Photographs:Filip Dujardin
Text description provided by the architects. The building plot is situated in a typical Flemish residential development with detached single-family houses that almost monotonously follow the building regulations of rectangular building volumes in reddish brick and gabled roofs of ceramic roof tiles.
In order to give the house character within this context, the building volume touches the limits of the regulations concerning volume and roof shape. This free interpretation leads to a sculptural volumetric composition with unexpected sloping surfaces.
This volume is accentuated afterwards by large articulated incisions to allow for daylight openings, entrances, and a generous south facing covered terrace Material wise, the house is entirely clad in red variegated flat ceramic tiles, with bronze coloured joinery accentuating the volume incisions.
The backward leaning street elevation has quite an introverted appearance while the house opens up on the other elevations with a completely glazed garden elevation at the terrace and a pronounced dormer window and a constellation of smaller incisions on the side elevations.
The plan organisation on the upper floor is quite traditional with the different rooms along a generously dimensioned corridor. On the ground floor, two zones are strictly separated by a floor-to-ceiling cabinet with integrated doors that stretches the full width of the house: a generously dimensioned living room with half open kitchen on the south side and service rooms on the north side. The interior leaves the loadbearing structure exposed with painted block work and plank formed concrete. The plank formwork of the concrete ceiling is mirrored by the oak floorboards.
Thermal performance and airtightness of the building envelope together with a compact building volume are the basis of the low energy consumption of the house, complemented by an energy efficient technical installation of a geothermal heat pump for the under floor heating and natural cooling, mechanical ventilation with heat recuperation and solar panels for sanitary hot water.
