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Architects: Oostkaai, Studio Ambacht
- Area: 320 m²
- Year: 2015
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Photographs:Senne van der Ven
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Lead Architects: David D’ Hulst
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Interior Decoration: Blancooo, Annemie Lathouwer, Karen Seykens
Text description provided by the architects. The house is a tribute to great designers such as le Corbusier, Kahn, and Scarpa. On the outskirts of the historic village Lier in Belgium, studio Ambacht designed this single-family house as a ‘gesamtkunstwerk’ in close cooperation with the owners, contractor, and local craftsmen.
The environment is characterized by row and semi-detached houses with south-facing gardens. The house, located on the border between urban development and rural areas, is a former farm that has been thoroughly renovated. The site has a minimal slope of 60 cm towards the garden.
When entering the house, visitors will be greeted by a glimpse of the swimming pool and the black pool house at the back of the garden. Closely connected to the hallway, a central atrium. supplies the building with light and sun. Everything is organized around it. The courtyard’s walls reach almost 6 meters high, a stark contrast to the kitchen with its height of only 2.26 meters: the golden ratio of le Corbusier.
The kitchen is located next to the atrium and functions as a lookout over the entire house and garden. The acoustic ceiling and eye-catching bookshelf connect the kitchen with the living area, which is situated on a lower level. The stairs to the living area are Scarpa-inspired. A long swimming pool leads to another small house in the garden built from wood and which serves as a holiday home or home office.
The house is built with authentic, natural materials such as brick, concrete, and wood. Premium surfaces (walnut, dark oak and brown marble)were used along with truly ascetic ones such as polished concrete for the floors and exposed concrete for most of the ceilings. The facades are Kahn-inspired and made out of white-painted brick in combination with concrete and exotic afrormosia wood.
