Terwagne

La Hulpe, Belgium

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Terwagne

La Hulpe, Belgium

Firm

FORMa* architecture studio

Type

Residential › Multi Unit Housing

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2016

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

BUDGET

Undisclosed

The project is located on the southeast extremity of the « Champ des Mottes », a residential allotment near the village centre with mandatorily joint houses.

Environment Characteristics:
- Typical « Champ de Mottes » houses on the south and west side of the plant
- Less typical recent constructions and more to be constructed on the southwest
- Backyards of the properties located on the Chaussée de Bruxelles on the north and east limits of the parcel. These limits are materialised by a green border on the east side and a grove at the north

The project:
The building zone is situated at 5 meters distance of the lateral limits. On the street side, it’s aligned on the advanced parts of the houses on the west. Its depth is 15 meters. The Garden is oriented at the north-northeast.
Designed on the basis of the volumetric language and templates already present in the « Champ », the houses merge very well in the characteristic built environment of the « Champ des Mottes ».
In order to integrate a contemporary living program in a well-defined environment, the existing volumetric language is re-interpreted with a twist.
The project benefits from a high quality environment. It’s conceived to take profit of the positive aspects of the parcel: environmental frame, garden, views, vegetation and natural daylight.
The houses offer large openings on the garden side and are turned to the south in order to let the sun penetrate generously. With this purpose, a part of the building is scooped out to create a patio, as a south-oriented part of the garden.

The patio is a light receptacle. It invites, punctuates the entry and creates a pleasant distance between public space and home. Located below, it turns part of the basement into habitable space, which can be used according to the residents needs.

The four houses are all unique, interpreting the same ideas in a different way.
The scooped out parts, fulfilling a vital function in the houses, push back partly the street side fronts. Combined with the variable backside facade plans, it reduces the building depth and creates a visual together of alternating volumes and depths.

The partly reducing of the building depth allows creating traversing living rooms combining environmental views, sunlight and direct contact with the garden.
The staircase treatment reinforces the daylight quota in the central part of the homes.
The volumetric result is offering visual dynamism and permeability to the whole, dialoguing with the environing buildings of the « Champ des Mottes ».