PROGRAMME AND SPATIAL CONTEXT

The programme comprises 10 units (apartments) with underground parking space and storage space. Eight of the ten units have two bedrooms and 1 bathroom; the remaining two have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.
The building as a whole is functional and has been conceptually subdivided into two connected blocks.
The project is situated along a busy main road (Turnhoutsebaan) on the cusp of the transition between joined buildings – which gives out directly onto the pavement and the street - and free-standing villas, which have been built further away from the road. The building looks small, as a result of the subdivision into two blocks and the fact that the second block has been placed further back (in line with the neighbouring mansion. Thus it constitutes the logical link between the two typologies.
In line with the scale of the buildings in the immediate surroundings, the building has two floors above-ground (building depth 17 metres on the groundfloor and 15 metres on the first floor) and one recessed second floor. The architects opted in favour of organizing the parking below ground level, instead of building the classic garages behind the building. This ensures that the building takes maximum advantage of the orientation and the view of the garden behind it. It also means that four of the groundfloor units come with their own garden.
Due to the specific boundary conditions – a busy road at the front of the building (north) and a green inner area at the back of the building (south) -, the apartments all have a rather closed character at the front, while the back facade is basically a glass wall. While the groundfloor units have a relatively large garden, the units on the first and second floor also have a full-fledged outside space: (covered) terraces along the entire width of the unit.

FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE

Every building block is accessed by a centrally located elevator and stairwell, which runs down into the underground parking layer. The night zones are always situated at the front, ensuring that the living space and kitchens are oriented towards the back and the garden. On the groundfloor level and the first floor we have integrated the storage space in between the facilities. Where possible, these are aired and lit naturally. On the recessed second floor, there is one large apartment, with beautiful terraces on either side. The expansive glass facade (approx. 15 metres) at the back of the build creates a general sense of openness.

MATERIALS

Between the various floors we have always introduced a jutting line of Belgian blue stone. This detail does not only point to the different levels, but also subdivides the facade into individual planes, as a result of the placement of the (visually) floor-height windows. These planes are executed in glued masonry for an even more streamlined impression. All parapets – at the height of the terraces and in front of windows that can be opened – have been executed in layered glass.