The project is a family residence located in Batroumine, a
small village in northern Lebanon. The villa is designed to cater for both the
clients with their children and the grandparents. The split layout provides
each group within the family their privacy and independence, while sharing the
same public spaces. The choice of materials for each of these sections enhances
the division: white plaster as opposed to rough grey stone. The entrance wall
is clad in wood slats and integrates a built-in cantilever bench, allowing the
clients to invite their neighbors for a friendly coffee when they pass by.
Spaces are developed so as to create long interior views that cross the house
towards the gardens. When the front and rear doors are open simultaneously, one
has direct access to the olive orchard in the backyard. Windows are more than
just a source of light; they are framed pictures of the nature outside. 2
staircases are available at different places of the villa: they provide
alternative vertical routes within the 2 and a half story structure: the 1st is
a full straight stretch of steps that connects the public spaces to the 1st
floor living area; the steps are in solid oak wood and create a mass of warm
material sandwiched between 2 white walls. The 2nd is a 2 flight staircase that
insures the link from the Parking to the Ground floor, to the Caretaker level,
and finally to the 1st floor level. It does not appear, however on the roof, so
that no protrusion disturbs the simplicity of the juxtaposition of the top
bigger level above the ground level. In the 1st floor living room, the
continuous use of wood around the window not only extends the vertical void
above the stairs, but also defines the gap that separates the sitting area from
the terrace. Outside, the pergola extends the window frame: with retractable
blinds aligned with the width of the windows, the pergola provides shade when
needed. At night, the curtains can open to leave a clear view of the sky. In
the master bedroom, the bed is positioned in the middle of the room with a tall
headboard. Behind it, the space of the dressing room unfolds and ends with an
access to the terrace. In the master bathroom, the frameless window in the
shower blurs the distinction between the inside and the outside. Photographs by
Géraldine Bruneel. Note: this project also appears in Interior Design projects.