Villa Moerkensheide

De Pinte, Belgium

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Villa Willemsdorp

Villa Moerkensheide

De Pinte, Belgium

Firm

Dieter de Vos Architecten

Type

Residential › Private House

YEAR

2013

This house is centrally positioned on the building plot at the edge of a residential neighborhood and opposite a small forest. An explicit orientation to the sun shapes the tripartite composition of the house. Three gardens formally complement the composition, each garden intended for a specific time of day: morning, afternoon, and evening.

A symmetric spatial configuration of three cubes around an equilateral triangle, together with an asymmetric articulation at the carport, defines the building geometry. The volume is developed architectonically through a concrete and blockwork load-bearing structure, brickwork of hand-selected peat-fired bricks in Flemish bond, and hardwood carpentry with prominent arched windows on the ground floor with rectangular windows on the upper floor.

The living area with open floor plan clearly shows the building geometry. The three large arched windows on the ground floor bring daylight generously into the space and at the same time create a close relationship between the interior and the three gardens. The three blind end walls within the open space contain integrated cabinets that allow the eating area, seating area, and work area to find their appropriate place.

Warm, natural materials and colors enliven the living area, including wooden wall paneling throughout the space, and a light pink and sand-colored terrazzo floor with an integrated kitchen worktop.

A self-supporting spiral staircase leads to the upper floor. Three freestanding cabinets separate three rooms from the hallway. These cabinets contain storage space as well as technical equipment and sanitary cells. The rooms can be closed off from the hallway through invisibly detailed doors in the cabinet.

On the upper floor, daylight is provided through perforations situated only on the end walls and in the flat roof. Finally, the uninterrupted perimeter wall is executed in ivory painted blockwork in contrast to the smooth lacquered cabinets.