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Architects: Architectuuratelier Vos, Luchtschip Architectuur
- Area: 210 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Johnny Umans
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Manufacturers: Deltalight, Vaillant, Ventiline
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Lead Architects: Emily Pescod, Julie Vanden Bussche
Text description provided by the architects. House HEIDE, a single-family house located in Oosteeklo, a small village near Ghent, is a new-build home for a young blended family. Something very unusual about the location of this project is the presence of a protected bunker from the Second World War in the garden, very close to the house itself. In order to preserve the views of the surroundings, it was decided to place the living areas on the upper floor while the architects opted to locate the bedrooms, bathroom, and more functional areas on the ground floor. A rather closed first level is in contrast with the open and glazed upper floor.
The exterior materialization is the result of this choice: the first floor is designed as a massive, closed plinth, made of lime-washed bricks. The second floor is conceived as a glazed box, constructed as a light timber-frame construction that was placed on the solid plinth. The façade of this second floor is clad with wood in reference to the construction material.
Because the ground surface of the second floor is smaller than the one of the first floor, large terraces are created on +1 that directly adjoin the living areas. An outside staircase makes the link with the ground level. The choice of materials for the exterior is continued in the interior design. The spaces on the ground floor are made of bricks with concrete floors which are all plastered.
On the upper floor, the light timber frame construction is finished on the inside with a wood veneer. The roof is constructed with wooden beams that remain visible. They were oiled for durability.
The house scores are high in terms of sustainability. The volume was kept as compact as possible to limit heat losses along the facades. A mechanical ventilation system with heat recuperation, solar panels and a heat pump provide sustainable energy generation.
