A new housing block will be built on the former 'Veemarkt' terrain in Utrecht. Two self-building plots are assigned within this block. High qualifications are demanded by the municipality of Utrecht concerning sustainability and energy consumption. An 'energy performance coefficient' (EPC) of 0,0 and a GPR (sustainability ranking) of 8.16 are requiered to obtain a building permit. For plot 9 we have designed a four story high house.
The four floors are divided into two living floors and two bedroom floors. The living floors are configured as a split level and are connected through a central staircase. By using different floor heights a visual connection between the living spaces becomes possible. The kitchen and working space have a height of 3.6 meters this way! The bedroom floors are connected by another staircase which is lighted by a central skylight.
The window frames in the bedrooms provide a bench in the window. The thin glass frame makes a clear contrast with the surrounding buildings. Because of the different window heights, the architecture of the individual building is further emphasized. Because the house with its garden is built on a parking garage, the house is 1.5 m above street level.
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