Château d'eau

200, Kortenbergsesteenweg, Steenokkerzeel, Belgium

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Château d'eau

200, Kortenbergsesteenweg, Steenokkerzeel, Belgium

Firm

Bham design studio

Type

Residential › Private House

YEAR

2009

SIZE

5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

In a small
terrain of 16m width by 20m long in the middle of a flat Belgian landscape,
raises a 30m high water tower built between 1938 and 1941 for and by the village of Steenokkerzeel.
It has been in service until the beginning of the nineties and was used by the
Nazis during the 2nd world war as a "tour de guete".

In 2004 a
procedure was filled to protect and preserve the building witch the Royal
commission for the protection and preservation of monuments and sites accepted.

The
exterior of the tower was fully renovated to its initial state. Damaged
concrete columns were repaired and painted, brick joints were completely
removed and replaced and the windows in the floor top were enlarged.

The works
for a complete renovation and conversion into a single family house started in
2007.

The program
The program
foresees two distinct profiles of users. The private and main user is the client, a
couple living at the tower daily. Once or twice a month, part of the building
is rented for very exclusive events targeting management people looking for a
place to make workshops, high profile companies that seek a unique place to
meet top clients near by the airport. Every room is equipped with the latest IT
technology, domotics and the possibility to install projectors virtually
anywhere on the top floor.

Interior architecture

The preservation
of existing concrete elements such as the main water conduct, concrete
ceilings, concrete stairs and the 250.000 liters concrete water basin were
essential to preserve the strong identity of the building.

Every
visible concrete element inside was painted in dark grey in order to mark the
old from the new. This choice works in both ways since it makes the contrast
created makes both bright and dark stand out.

0 - Main
entrance & garage (2 cars)
1 - Technical
room, storage and utility
2 -
Guest room & office
An envelope inside the envelope. The combination of vertical and
horizontal wengé surfaces delineates the guest’s bedroom area with its own
bathroom.
3 -
Bathroom
A central 4.5
meter high shower was created in the bathroom in order to maximize the water
flow experience. Black tainted glass walls surround the walk in shower increasing
the sense of intimacy.
Textile as
visual separation from the cupboards was introduced to create a balance with
the other "hard" materials and enhance the room’s acoustics.
4 -
Bedroom
This circular
room with a dome ceiling hosts a revolving stairs leading to the upper floor and
a full monolithic mirror dressing witch reflects the surroundings and gradually
disappears.
Wengé wood
flooring contrasts with the cold nature of the mirror surfaces. Light reflection
on the wood bounces providing warm reddish tones on the walls.
5 -
Living room, kitchen and dining room
Impressive
by its circular shape and large surface, the top floor affords some incredible
vistas to the airplanes landing on the national airport just a quarter of a
kilometer away.
The
elevator block integrates a rest room, a library, the cat house and a cloak
room.
Above the
sculptural kitchen furniture, a steel bridge takes you to the terrace.
6 -
Panoramic terrace
The terrace
provides a full panoramic view and is equipped with raised IPE wood flooring
and a shower.Pictures by Jasmine Van Hevel

Product Spec Sheet

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Team

Mauro Brigham

Interior architect

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Château d'eau

200, Kortenbergsesteenweg, Steenokkerzeel, Belgium

Château d'eau

200, Kortenbergsesteenweg, Steenokkerzeel, Belgium

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team