Repos
The residents of this plot near the Dieweg cemetery have a simple request that is a recurring architectural exercise: the construction of an extension for their single-family home, because living space has become too small for a household of five people, and the volume of the kitchen needs to be rethought.
The plot is located high above the street, forming a slight hill, and the 19th century house on it has a distinct feature of three facades, unlike most Brussels houses which have two. Here, the garden surrounds the building and runs along its long façade facing south, then flares out and extends deep into the heart of the block. An old brick wall accompanies it and surrounds the property.
We follow this wall as a guide, and place a light, transparent object perpendicularly against the house. It houses the dining room and the living room. Its two large glass walls open wide to the garden and the ubiquitous vegetation. On the south side, a structured glazing sets off the white brick background. Together with the entrance hall, the volume structures a new garden space, like an outdoor room, which becomes the new centre of gravity of the house. A terrace will be built here.
Finally, a last, more massive volume is formed by the extension of the brick wall, which turns in on itself to create a space. It will be used as a workshop, as a place to pedal in peace and quiet, and as a storage area for tools and garden accessories.
This set of sequences along the wall makes it possible to define a clearer use to spaces that were previously informal while conferring different degrees of privacy on them: the street, the terrace, the house, the garden. It also offers the whole family places from where they can marvel at nature and encourages users to meditate on the landscapes it draws.
The choice of a light architecture, where the thin metal structure seems to suspend horizontal slabs, allows this distinction without obstructing the perspectives onto the garden. Moreover, its floating nature, almost like a piece of furniture placed there opens up the chance for a subtle dialogue with the house.
