SIMPLEXITY
Urban Architectes
BUILDER
Buro G
CATEGORY
Houses
YEAR
2017
CLIENT
private
LOCATION
Assesse, Belgium
«.. we would like a house that looks like us, that seems made for us, on the land that we chose and for a price that we estimate fair and appropriate. »
Realizing a “simple” production of architecture often requires a complex reflexive work. To limit all construction costs - foundations, structure, roofing, etc.
We have imagined a compact and rational unity that occupies a minimal footprint and stretches the building upward to stack functions, bring light through the interior spaces and to get a maximum degree of reading of the surrounding landscape.
The natural slope of the parcel has strongly conditioned the position of functions; thus the access is conveniently created on the ground floor, which is directly connected to the street.
The entrance hall, conceived as an area of connectivity between the different levels of the project, offers lighting at the lower level thanks to its large bay, which benefits from southern exposure.
The parents' space, closed to the entrance hall but connected to the staircases, occupies the ground floor. The half-buried living room has been designed as an intimate and luminous space, directly connected to the garden.
The top floor, entirely dedicated to children, is organized around a common area, where one can enjoy a panoramic view from the height of the neighborhood.
As for the black slates, this reinforces the sober and desired identity of the project, while defining the building in the landscape.
Some small wooden boxes are also added to the main block to emphasize the entrance and the terrace of the top floor, thought as two contrasting atmospheres that reflect the interaction between this small belvedere and its environment.
Starting from a simple volume and a modest budget, a multitude of atmospheres and perspectives have been created in a project that brings richness and complexity together.
