© Tim Van de Velde
- Architects: HASA – Architecten
- Location: Halle, Germany
- Lead Architect: Bart Blancquaert
- Area: 335.0 m2
- Project Year: 2015
- Photographs: Tim Van de Velde
- Engineering: BALT Engineering
- Energy Advisor: SVE Energy
© Tim Van de Velde
Text description provided by the architects. This very energy-efficient house (NEBverw 14,89 kWh/m²) is conceived as a series of interlocking, spacious rooms that, thanks to its meticulously placed windows, open up to its surroundings. Although designed for a dynamic 70-year-old, it is suited for a family of 4.
© Tim Van de Velde
The semi-detached house had to respect the volume of the neighbouring house, constructed 20 years earlier. To compensate for the rather low cornice that had to be respected, we made cut-outs in the roof surface to allow daylight to enter the bedrooms on the first and second floor.
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Plan
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Plan
For the exterior, we used neutral grey materials, providing a harmonising coherence with the neighbour, yet distinct enough to avoid triviality. Front and side facades were done in robust bricks, the rear facade and the roof were covered with cement slates to create one whole . Perforated steel sheets provide privacy where needed.
© Tim Van de Velde
We placed the main entrance at the side of the house to optimise circulation space in the house. The sitting room is on the street side (east facade), with a partially raised ceiling to provide ample daylight. The high-placed window to the street ensures the room gets ample daylight, yet guarantees a distinct level of cosiness.
© Tim Van de Velde
In the dining room at the rear, a panoramic window highlights the views of the open meadows and fields behind the house. A compact, yet functional, kitchen divides the two living spaces. At noon, the sunlight enters the kitchen through a narrow void right above it. Small perforation in the kitchen walls connect the sitting and dining rooms, offering different views and light.
© Tim Van de Velde
On the first floor, a similar floorplan allows for 2 bedrooms to be separated by a shower room. The latter connects to the void above the kitchen, receiving indirect daylight. A second bathroom is placed in the hall.
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Section
On the second floor a third bedroom with a roof terrace offers magnificent views on the fields. The technical room is located next to this bedroom.
© Tim Van de Velde
The basement houses a workshop and a library, separated by a pantry. The workshop gets natural light through the adjacent staircase, the library is lit through the glass floor in the dining room.
© Tim Van de Velde
Interior finishes, fixed furnishings and light fixtures are designed to enhance the spaciousness of the house. Natural materials, developing a patina over the years, give a soft touch to the clean architectural lines.
© Tim Van de Velde